In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to wounds sustained from Israeli forces last week in Tura. 2 Israeli settlers were injured in what was said to be an attack by Palestinians near the...
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October 26, 2023
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April 24, 2022
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with military protection raided Qaryut; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also razed 10 dunams (2.5 acres) of Palestinian-owned land in al-Farisiya....
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January 12, 2021
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted dozens of almond trees and grapevines in Bayt Umar and threatened the Palestinian landowners with guns. Israeli forces razed Palestinian-owned land in ‘...
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July 27, 2018
Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return. IDF troops violently disperse the demonstrations near Khan Yunis, Rafah, al-Bureij refugee camp, Gaza...
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July 21, 2018
Along Gaza’s border fence, a number of Palestinians cross the fence into Israel near Gaza City. They return after stealing some IDF equipment. Taking the incident as a violation of the cease-fire...
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July 15, 2018
Breaking the hours-old cease-fire in Gaza, the IAF conducts air strikes on a number of sites across Gaza reportedly used as staging areas for incendiary kite and balloon attacks; 6 Palestinians...
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July 3, 2018
The Egyptian army demolishes a tunnel leading from the Sinai Peninsula into Gaza, trapping 8 Palestinian workers, according to eyewitnesses in Rafah. Later, the Egyptian army announces that its...
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June 1, 2018
Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return. IDF troops violently disperse them near al-Bureij refugee camp, Jabaliya refugee camp, Rafah, Gaza City...
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April 27, 2018
Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return for the 5th consecutive Friday. This week’s protests, dubbed the “Friday of Rebellious Youth,” are...
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October 19, 2017
Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces shoot and injure a Palestinian sailing near Bayt Lahiya. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel. In the West...
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October 17, 2017
In the West Bank, Palestinian farmers discover that Israeli settlers have stolen the pickings from at least 450 of their olive trees in orchards east of Qalqilya. Israeli forces bulldoze 200 m of...
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June 5, 2017
Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian citizen of Israel (PCI) and injure 2 others amid late-night clashes sparked by an arrest raid in Kafr Kassim. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids...
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May 22, 2017
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...
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February 27, 2017
Armed fighters in Gaza fire a rocket into Israel, which lands in an open area, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF then launches retaliatory air strikes and artillery salvos on at least 5 Hamas...
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January 15, 2017
Along Gaza’s border, unidentified Palestinians open fire on Israeli forces doing maintenance work on the border fence nr. Rafah, hitting a military vehicle and causing minor damage. In response,...
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January 13, 2017
IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s occupation, separation wall, and settlements in 3 villages nr. Ramallah...
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August 26, 2016
IDF troops shoot and kill an unarmed Palestinian at a military post outside Ofra settlement nr. Ramallah. The man does not open fire on the soldiers, despite initial reports to the contrary. A...
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August 8, 2016
In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct late-night house searches and raids nr. Hebron, Tulkarm, Ramallah, and Bethlehem, arresting 7 Palestinians, confiscating some personal property, and violently...
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July 19, 2016
Israeli forces conduct raids in al-Ram village, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; 1 Palestinian child is struck in the chest with an unidentified projectile and killed....
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April 18, 2016
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...
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January 16, 2016
In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Nablus after he allegedly throws a knife at them. Israeli forces seal off with cement blocks the main road leading to...
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September 2, 2015
Further escalating tension in East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities confiscate an area of land in the historic Bab al-Rahma Islamic cemetery outside the Old City. Palestinian youths then raze the...
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June 6, 2015
In Gaza, Sarayat al-Shaykh Umar Hadid fire a Katyusha 130 rocket into Israel and it lands nr. Ashqelon, causing no serious damage or injuries. The group says that the recent rocket attacks (today...
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March 27, 2015
IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis fire on a group of Palestinians approaching the border fence, causing 3 to suffer from tear gas inhalation. Separately, IDF troops stationed e. of...
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March 1, 2015
In Gaza, Israeli troops arrest a Palestinian at the Erez border crossing. Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians gather in Gaza City and Khan Yunis to protest the Egyptian court’s 2/28 designation...
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January 31, 2015
In the West Bank, IDF troops open fire with live ammunition on a group of young Palestinians throwing Molotov cocktails at Israeli settlers’ cars nr. Nablus, killing 1 and lightly injuring another...
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September 7, 2014
In East Jerusalem, a 16-year-old Palestinian dies of wounds sustained during clashes on 8/31. In the immediate aftermath of his death, the IDF says that his injuries were incurred when he was hit...
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August 4, 2014
The IDF continues its assault on the Gaza Strip by air, land, and sea, killing 64 Palestinians with strikes on approximately 100 targets. Attacks occur before and after a humanitarian cease-fire...
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July 25, 2014
The IDF continues its assault on the Gaza Strip by land, sea, and air, killing 66 Palestinians. Armed Palestinian groups fire more than 80 rockets into Israel, with 16 intercepted by Iron Dome...
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July 22, 2014
The IDF continues its assault on the Gaza Strip, killing 61 Palestinians. Local officials say targets struck include 5 mosques and a soccer stadium, in addition to other Palestinian infrastructure...
In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to wounds sustained from Israeli forces last week in Tura. 2 Israeli settlers were injured in what was said to be an attack by Palestinians near the Rimonim settlement north of Wadi as-Seeq. Israeli settlers assaulted 5 Palestinians during raids in Deir Jarir, Qusra, Bethlehem, and Taybeh. Israeli settlers also vandalized homes, stole items, and assaulted Palestinians in Shaab al-Buum and Khirbet Saddet al-Tha’leh in the Masafer Yatta area. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers left leaflets in Deir Istiya warning Palestinians to flee to Jordan before they are forcefully expelled in the “great Nakba.” Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian child and injured another during a raid in Jalazone refugee camp. Nearly 100 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Biddu, Kobar, Arora, al-Mughayyir, al-Bireh, Bethlehem, Hebron, Sanour, and Marda. In Gaza, Israeli attacks killed at least 481 Palestinians, including 209 children. Israeli tanks entered Gaza, killing several people and damaging buildings. Israel also said it used combat helicopters to assassinate 4 Hamas members, Shadi Barud, Tareq Ma’ruf, Rafat Abbas, and Ibrahim Jadbah in Gaza City. Rockets were fired at Israel; no new injuries were recorded. In South Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked Ayta al-Shaab. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/26; HA, UNOCHA 10/27)
The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 7,028 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 4,000 women and children, and 18,482 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. It is estimated that 1,600 people, including 900 children, were trapped in rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 104 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 30 children. More than 1,956 have been injured. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. As of 10/23, at least 27,781 housing units had been destroyed and 150,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 45% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. 12 truckloads of aid entered Gaza. (AJ, HA, WAFA 10/26; UNOCHA 10/27)
The Gaza Ministry of Health published the names and ID numbers of more than 7,000 Palestinians killed, including 2,665 children, in Israeli attacks since 10/7. The publication of the names comes 1 day after U.S. president Joe Biden questioned the reliability of the ministry’s data. (AJ, NYT 10/26)
PA minister of public works and housing minister Mohammad Ziyara said 200,000 housing units have been completely or partially destroyed by Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. Israel said that 224 people are being held captive in Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 10/26)
Hamas leaders Bassem Naim and Moussa Abu Marzouk and Iranian deputy foreign minister Ali Baghiri Kani met with Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov in Moscow. Israel condemned Russia for hosting members of Hamas. Hamas military spokesperson Abu Obeida said Israeli airstrikes have killed around 50 captives. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech that Israeli attacks on Gaza will “destabilize the entire region” and that the resistance in Gaza was “doing well.” (AJ, HA 10/26; AP, HA 10/27)
At the UN Security Council, PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said Israel was waging “a war of revenge” with no real objective. Al-Maliki also met with ICC prosecutor Karim Khan in The Hague. The UN General Assembly also convened an emergency session. (REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/26)
The UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, and Morocco released a joint statement, condemning the targeting of civilians, forced displacement, and collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza. (AJ, HA 10/26)
EU leaders agreed on a final communique after a 7-hour-long meeting on the Israeli attacks on Gaza, calling for “humanitarian corridors” and “pauses.” (AJ 10/26)
Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said of Israeli attacks on Gaza, “it is not war, it is a genocide that has killed 2,000 children.” (AJ 10/26)
A venue in Israel canceled a Palestinian-Jewish conference after Israeli police warned the venue’s owner of “consequences.” The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee said Israel is “persecuting the Arab public, trying to prevent political meetings and silence them.” (HA 10/25; HA, HA 10/26)
The U.S. said it attacked 2 facilities with links to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria. The U.S. also deployed 900 troops to the Middle East. A Pentagon spokesperson said that they were not going to Israel. (AJ 10/26; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT 10/27)
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution denouncing anti-Semitism on campuses. In related remarks, senators conflated criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. The Anti-Defamation League sent 200 letters to campuses in the U.S. requesting that they investigate Students for Justice in Palestine for possibly violating a law prohibiting support for a foreign terrorist organization. (Congress, HA 10/26; INT 10/27)
A Gallup poll found that U.S. president Joe Biden lost 11 percentage points among Democrats since September and that his overall approval rating has dropped from 41 to 37. (AJ, HA 10/26)
Switzerland suspended financial support for 6 Palestinian and 5 Israeli NGOs, including Adalah, Al-Shabaka, Gisha, 7amleh, HaMoked, Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre, MIFTAH: The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy, Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Palestinian NGO Network, Physicians for Human Rights, and the Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling. Switzerland said it would analyze the feasibility of the programs. (HA 10/26)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with military protection raided Qaryut; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also razed 10 dunams (2.5 acres) of Palestinian-owned land in al-Farisiya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers stole 35 olive tree saplings near Azmut. Israeli forces razed Palestinian-owned land in Burin. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian man trying to enter Israel for work by the separation barrier near Tulkarm. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 6 nautical miles northwest of Rafah; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/24; PCHR 4/28; UNOCHA 5/13)
The Israeli high court of justice denied a petition to reopen an investigation into the killing of 4 Palestinian children by Israeli forces in 2014. The justices said the petitioners did not point to sufficient flaws in the attorney general’s decision to close the investigation. The petition was filed by Adalah, Al Mezan, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. (AP, HA, PCHR 4/24; WAFA 4/25; MDW 4/26; PCHR 4/27; AJ 4/30)
1 Palestinian man was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 1 Israeli man in Israel in 2020. The Palestinian man was also ordered to pay $79,000 to the family of the Israeli man. (HA, TOI, WAFA 4/24)
Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett spoke to U.S. president Joe Biden, who said he would be visiting Israel in the coming months. The 2 also discussed potential U.S. plans to delist the Iranian Revolutionary Guard from its list of terrorist organizations—a move Israel opposes—and violence in Jerusalem. (ABC, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HILL, JP, MEE, REU, TOI 4/24)
Jordanian king Abdullah II, Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, and UAE crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met in Cairo, discussing trilateral ties and the situation at the Haram al-Sharif compound. (NAT, TOI 4/24)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted dozens of almond trees and grapevines in Bayt Umar and threatened the Palestinian landowners with guns. Israeli forces razed Palestinian-owned land in ‘Ayn Bus and seized 1 greenhouse in Bethlehem. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian with live ammunition as he was trying to enter Israel for work through the separation barrier near Far‘un. Elsewhere, Israeli forces dismantled and seized 1 agricultural structure in Tuqu‘. Israeli forces also arrested 1 Palestinian at the Qalandia checkpoint, claiming he wanted to stab a soldier with a screwdriver. 15 others were arrested during raids in and around Qabatiya, Jenin refugee camp, Burqin, Ramallah, Kafr Malik, Tulkarm, Tubas, and Nablus. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 7 nautical miles northwest of Rafah. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/12; PCHR 1/14)
The Israeli government told its high court of justice that it had delivered 100 COVID-19 vaccine doses to the PA and that more doses would arrive in some 10 days. The PA health ministry denied having received any doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Israel. (HA, WAFA 1/13)
The Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem released a position paper “A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: this is apartheid,” calling Israel an apartheid state. B’Tselem argued that the distinction between Israel proper, East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza has been obfuscated so that “the entire area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River is organized under a single principle: advancing and cementing the supremacy of one group—Jews—over another—Palestinians.” B’Tselem said it no longer could treat the occupied Palestinian territories as distinct from Israel as it has in the past and therefore needs to treat the area as 1 entity operating as an apartheid state. 2 particular developments led B’Tselem to change its viewpoint: the Nation-State law and the threats of annexation of Area C. Several Palestinian human rights organizations including al-Haq and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights have already called Israel an apartheid state. (AQ 11/12/2019; +972, AJ, AP, B’Tselem, CNN, GDN, HA, IN 1/12)
Israel attacked several places in Dayr al-Zur and Abu Kamal in eastern Syria with airstrikes, killing 57 people and wounding at least 37. According to a U.S. intelligence official, the strikes were made with intelligence from the U.S.; U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo had discussed the airstrikes with Mossad director Yossi Cohen at a D.C. restaurant on 1/11. Secretary Pompeo also announced that the terrorist group Al Qaeda has a home base in Iran without providing any evidence, a charge the Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called “warmongering lies.” On 1/10, Secretary Pompeo said that the Houthi rebels in Yemen would be added to the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations, a designation many humanitarian organizations lambasted as it will make it impossible to deliver aid to the civilian population living in Houthi-controlled areas who are heavily hunger stricken. (REU 1/10; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, REU 1/11; AJ, AJ, REU, REU 1/12; AA, AJ, FOX, HA, HA, HA, JP 1/13; HA 1/15; HA, HA 1/17)
Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return. IDF troops violently disperse the demonstrations near Khan Yunis, Rafah, al-Bureij refugee camp, Gaza City, and Jabaliya refugee camp; 2 Palestinians are killed and at least 90 are injured. Their deaths bring the Great March of Return death toll to 137. In response to shots allegedly fired at IDF border patrols in the evening, Israeli forces strike a Hamas observation post near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing damage.
In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces enter Haram al-Sharif after Friday prayers and fire sound bombs at Palestinian worshippers, clearing them from the sanctuary; 7 Palestinians and 4 Israeli police officers are injured, and 24 Palestinians are arrested. Some witnesses say that the Israelis entered the sanctuary after children threw firecrackers at them. After the clashes, Israeli forces seal the entrances to the sanctuary. The Islamic Waqf then organizes a sit-in protest outside, and the Israeli authorities order the entrances reopened hours later. Separately, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians during late-night raids in Silwan and Wadi al-Juz. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian home under construction and surrounding wheat fields near Nablus, causing extensive damage. The IDF seals off the entrance to Kobar village near Ramallah, the hometown of the Palestinian who allegedly stabbed 3 Israeli settlers on 7/26. IDF troops conduct raids in the village throughout the day, sparking intermittent clashes; 5 Palestinians are injured (1 critically). Israeli soldiers also violently disperse Friday protests at Kafr Qaddum near Qalqilya; 5 Palestinians are injured. Dozens of Palestinians gather outside Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village near Jerusalem, to protest the impending Israeli evacuation and demolition of the village. Throughout the day, the IDF patrols near Hebron, Qalqilya, Tulkarm, and Jenin. (EI, HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 7/27; EI, MNA 7/28; PCHR 8/2)
Israeli DM Lieberman pledges to advance the construction of 400 new housing units in the Adam settlement near Ramallah, justifying the settlement growth in response to the stabbing attack on 7/26. The “best response to terrorism is increased settlement,” Lieberman tweets. The 400 units are reportedly part of an existing plan to build 1,000 new units in the settlement. (HA, MNA, TOI 7/27)
Along Gaza’s border fence, a number of Palestinians cross the fence into Israel near Gaza City. They return after stealing some IDF equipment. Taking the incident as a violation of the cease-fire reached late on 7/20, Israeli forces shell a Hamas position near Gaza City, causing damage. Later, an incendiary device flown from Gaza into Israel sparks a small fire at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, causing minor damage. An Israeli tank then shells a Hamas post near Gaza City for the second time today, causing damage. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest a Palestinian activist at Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village near Jerusalem that is slated for evacuation and demolition. They arrest 2 more Palestinians during late-night raids near Hebron and Jenin, and patrol near Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 7 Palestinians during late-night raids in Ras al-Amud, Hizma, Silwan, al-Suwana, and the Old City. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 7/21; PCHR 7/26)
While no Israeli official has confirmed the terms of the 7/20 cease-fire on the record, a senior Israeli official says that Hamas offered to put a stop to “the fire terror” and the “terror at the fence” in exchange for an end to the air strikes, contradicting a Hamas official’s depiction of the deal on 7/20. “Hamas suffered a serious blow yesterday, and requested a cease-fire via Egypt, while promising to stop the arson terror and terror at the border fence,” the official says. “If Hamas violates the truce they will pay an even heavier price.” Later, Hamas officials say that they will not work to stop the incendiary kite and balloon attacks until Israel lifts restrictions on Gaza. (HA, TOI 7/21)
Breaking the hours-old cease-fire in Gaza, the IAF conducts air strikes on a number of sites across Gaza reportedly used as staging areas for incendiary kite and balloon attacks; 6 Palestinians are injured. The IDF says that it detected mortar fire from Gaza overnight, and that the renewed air strikes were a response to Palestinians breaking the cease-fire. Israeli drones strike 3 more sites in near Bayt Hanun and Rafah later in the day, injuring 3 Palestinians. Throughout the day, unidentified Palestinians fly incendiary kites and balloons across the border fence into Israel, sparking at least 17 fires. Meanwhile, an explosion in Gaza City kills 2 Palestinians and injures 3 others. One of the deceased was the commander of a rocket unit in al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an armed group affiliated with Fatah, sparking rumors that Israel was responsible for the explosion. The Palestinian press reports the explosion as a “work accident.” Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Dayr al-Balah and Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces place two new iron gates at the entrances to Khan al-Ahmar, the Bedouin village near Jerusalem slated for evacuation and demolition. They also demolish 2 rooms in Palestinian-owned buildings near Nablus. IDF troops arrest 7 Palestinians during morning raids in Jalazun refugee camp near Ramallah, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians (4 Palestinians are injured). They also arrest 6 Palestinians during late-night raids near Bethlehem, Jenin, and Salfit; and patrol near Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid in Hizma and clash with stone-throwing Palestinian minors during a raid in al-Ram. (AHR, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 7/15; MNA 7/16; PCHR 7/19)
Israeli sources say that the cease-fire reached on 7/14 includes a stipulation that Hamas and PIJ will gradually stop the incendiary kite and balloon attacks. “If in the past, 50 balloons were flown every time, for example, then now 20 balloons will be flown, tomorrow 10, and the next day less,” the source says. “That’s the agreement, and that is what has been decided between the sides.” Later, Netanyahu denies the report. “I heard it being said that Israel has agreed to a cease-fire that would allow the continuation of terrorism by incendiary kites and balloons; this is incorrect,” he says. “We are not prepared to accept any attacks against us, and we will respond appropriately.” Hamas officials say that the cease-fire covers rockets and mortars, but not incendiary kites and balloons. (JP, WAFA, YA 7/15)
The Egyptian army demolishes a tunnel leading from the Sinai Peninsula into Gaza, trapping 8 Palestinian workers, according to eyewitnesses in Rafah. Later, the Egyptian army announces that its troops killed 3 alleged terrorists and destroyed a number of tunnels along the border in recent days. Also along Gaza’s border fence, Israeli forces violently disperse hundreds of Palestinians gathering along the fence near Gaza City to continue the Great March of Return; 18 Palestinians are injured, including 3 journalists. They also conduct a limited incursion to level land along the border fence near Gaza City. On Israel’s side of the border fence, firefighters quell 6 fires allegedly sparked by incendiary kites and balloons flown from Gaza. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Gaza City and Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 3 Palestinians during late-night raids near Qalqilya, Tulkarm, and Jenin; and patrol near Hebron and Tulkarm. (AFP, HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 7/3; PCHR 7/5)
PLO secretary-general Erakat says that the Palestinians are considering a reduction in their political, economic, and security relations with Israel in response to the new Israeli law allowing for deductions to the monthly transfers of tax revenues to the PA. Separately, PA officials say they have no plans to end the stipends to Palestinians imprisoned in Israel in connection with serious crimes against Israelis. (JP, WAFA 7/3)
The IDF declares Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village near Jerusalem, a closed military zone ahead of planned evacuations and demolitions. Israel’s High Court of Justice approved the government’s plan to demolish the village on 5/24. (EI, WAFA 7/3)
Israeli PM Netanyahu lifts his ban on Israeli MKs and ministers visiting Haram al-Sharif. He temporarily lifted the ban in early 2017 after imposing it amid the habba, which was a surge of Palestinian resistance, random attacks, and protests that began in Jerusalem in 9/2015. (AJ, JP, TOI 7/3)
Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return. IDF troops violently disperse them near al-Bureij refugee camp, Jabaliya refugee camp, Rafah, Gaza City, and Khan Yunis; 1 Palestinian is killed and at least 100 are injured. The Palestinian killed today was a paramedic named Razan al-Najjar. She was reportedly shot as she was treating wounded protesters. Her death brings the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 115. In East Jerusalem, approximately 250,000 Palestinians pray at Haram al-Sharif, marking the third Friday of Ramadan. In the West Bank, IDF troops issue arrest summons to 2 Palestinians during a raid in Hebron, and patrol near Tulkarm and Hebron. (EI, NYT, WAFA, YA 6/1; MNA 6/2; PCHR 6/7)
At the UNSC, the U.S. vetoes a Kuwait-backed draft resolution condemning Israel’s use of force against Palestinian civilians at recent protests along Gaza’s border fence. “The terrorist group Hamas bears primary responsibility for the awful living conditions in Gaza,” says U.S. ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, explaining the veto. (HA, JP, NYT, REU, TOI, YA 6/1)
Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return for the 5th consecutive Friday. This week’s protests, dubbed the “Friday of Rebellious Youth,” are dedicated to the 37 Palestinians killed since the March began on 3/30. IDF troops violently disperse the demonstrations in multiple locations; 3 Palestinians are killed and at least 150 are injured. After hours of Israeli sniper fire, the IDF considerably escalates its crackdown on the protests with artillery shelling and air strikes on 6 Hamas sites across Gaza, causing damage and injuring 4 Palestinians. An IDF spokesperson later says the strikes were a response to the “terrorist actions and extensive attempts to breach Israeli territory earlier today.” In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Friday protests against Israel’s occupation, settlements, and separation wall in Hebron, Kafr Qaddum near Qalqilya, and Ramallah; 2 Palestinians are injured. They also arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid near Bethlehem and patrol near Hebron and Qalqilya. Israeli settlers slash the tires of a number of Palestinian vehicles near Nablus overnight, and chop down 12 olive trees in a Palestinian grove outside ‘Urif near Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces clash with stonethrowing Palestinians in al-‘Izzariya; 1 Palestinian is arrested and 1 is wounded. A Palestinian demolishes his own car park in Silwan to avoid paying Israeli demolition fees. (EI, HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 4/27; YA 4/28; PCHR 5/3)
Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces shoot and injure a Palestinian sailing near Bayt Lahiya. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish 2 Palestinian homes in Halawa village south of Hebron and an agricultural structure in the nearby village of al-Tuwani. IDF troops arrest 6 Palestinians during late-night raids near Hebron, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, and Jenin, and patrol near Hebron, Qalqilya, and Salfit. (MNA, WAFA 10/19; HA, MNA, YA 10/20; PCHR 10/26)
Two days after Israel’s security cabinet imposed new conditions on Israel’s participation in a new round of peace talks with the Palestinians, U.S. special representative Greenblatt issues the first official U.S. response to the 10/12 Palestinian national reconciliation agreement: “All parties agree that it is essential that the PA be able to assume full, genuine, and unhindered civil and security responsibilities in Gaza and that we work together to improve the humanitarian situation for Palestinians living there,” he says, in a statement. “The U.S. reiterates the importance of adherence to the Quartet principles: any Palestinian government must unambiguously and explicitly commit to nonviolence, recognize the State of Israel, accept previous agreements and obligations between the parties—including to disarm terrorists—and commit to peaceful negotiations. If Hamas is to play any role in a Palestinian government, it must accept these basic requirements.” In response, a senior Hamas official accuses the U.S. of “blatant interference” in the reconciliation process. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/19)
A mortar fired from inside Syria lands in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, causing no damage or injuries. In response, Israeli tanks fire on a Syrian army position near Qunaytra. (TOI, YA 10/19)
In the West Bank, Palestinian farmers discover that Israeli settlers have stolen the pickings from at least 450 of their olive trees in orchards east of Qalqilya. Israeli forces bulldoze 200 m of walls around a Palestinian’s agricultural land near Nablus, and patrol near Hebron. Late at night, IDF troops raid 8 branch offices of 3 Palestinian media companies— PalMedia, Ram Sat, and Trans Media—in Nablus, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Hebron. They confiscate what they claim are inciting materials and arrest at least 2 Palestinians. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish 2 homes in Silwan, displacing 9 Palestinians. Off Gaza, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Bayt Lahiya and Khan Yunis, causing no damage or injuries. (MNA, WAFA 10/17; EI, HA, YA 10/18; PCHR 10/19)
Israeli PM Netanyahu’s office announces that the security cabinet has decided to set a series of conditions concerning the 10/12 Palestinian national reconciliation agreement for the Palestinians to meet before the Israeli government would consent to any “political” talks with a new Palestinian consensus government. They include Hamas recognizing Israel, ceasing all so-called terrorist activity, disarming fighters, dismantling its military infrastructure and bureaucracy in the West Bank, severing ties with Iran, returning to Israel the remains of the 2 IDF soldiers and the Israeli civilians allegedly being held in Gaza, and relinquishing security control of Gaza to the PA. A senior Israeli official says that the cabinet also authorized PM Netanyahu to impose punitive sanctions on the PA, including deductions from the monthly transfers of tax revenues Israel collects on the Palestinians’ behalf. Shortly after the statement is released, PA pres. Abbas’s spokesperson says that the Israeli government will not be allowed to stand in the way of Palestinian reconciliation. (HA, YA 10/17)
The Higher Planning Commission of Israel’s Civil Administration advances plans for 1,292 new housing units in West Bank settlements, including the approval of 296 homes for sale in Beit El (PM Netanyahu has promised to make these homes available to the residents of the illegal Ulpana outpost, which was evacuated in 2012). The committee is expected to advance more plans on 10/18. (TOI 19/17)
Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian citizen of Israel (PCI) and injure 2 others amid late-night clashes sparked by an arrest raid in Kafr Kassim. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in Nabi Salih nr. Ramallah, sparking minor clashes with stone-throwing residents (1 Palestinian is injured); arrest 7 Palestinians, and issue 2 arrest summons during additional raids nr. Hebron, Bethlehem, and Salfit; and patrol nr. Qalqilya and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 4 Palestinians during late-night raids in Shu‘fat r.c. and the Old City. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct limited incursions to level land nr. Jabaliya r.c. and Juhur al-Dik. They also violently disperse Palestinians protesting the Israeli blockade nr. Jabaliya r.c., Khan Yunis, and Rafah; 3 Palestinians are lightly injured. In 3 separate incidents off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya and Jabaliya r.c., causing no damage or injuries. (JP, MNA 6/5; HA, MNA, WAFA 6/6; PCHR 6/9)
Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates sever economic and diplomatic ties with Qatar, citing Doha’s support for so-called terrorist groups, including Hamas, inter alia. The Qatari Foreign Ministry calls the diplomatic break “unjustified” and “based on claims and allegations that have no basis in fact”. (AJ, ALM, HA, JP, MNA, REU, TOI 6/5; EI 6/6)
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)
Armed fighters in Gaza fire a rocket into Israel, which lands in an open area, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF then launches retaliatory air strikes and artillery salvos on at least 5 Hamas sites in c. and s. Gaza, injuring 5 Palestinians and causing damage. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Khan Yunis, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian at Qalandia checkpoint, claiming that she was moving in a “suspicious manner.” They also conduct raids in and around Jenin, sparking clashes with stone-throwing youths; there are no serious injuries. IDF troops confiscate security footage, arrest 1 Palestinian, and issue 8 arrest summons during raids nr. Jenin, Salfit, Hebron, and Bethlehem; and patrol nr. Hebron. Israeli forces confiscate 4 Palestinian vehicles nr. Tubas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct raids in Shu‘fat r.c., sparking clashes with stonethrowing youths; 2 Palestinians are injured. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, 2/27; PCHR 3/2)
The Egyptian authorities refuse senior Palestinian Authority (PA) official Jibril Rajoub entry into Egypt for an Arab League meeting on terrorism and extremism. Rajoub does not respond publicly; the Palestinian delegation withdraws from the meeting in protest. Egyptian officials will later say that Rajoub’s name was on a no-entry list, but will not give any further explanation. (HA, REU 2/28; ALM 3/10)
Along Gaza’s border, unidentified Palestinians open fire on Israeli forces doing maintenance work on the border fence nr. Rafah, hitting a military vehicle and causing minor damage. In response, IDF troops and artillery fire on a Hamas post along the border, causing an unspecified amount of damage. Earlier in the day, Israeli forces conducted a limited incursion to level land nr. Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently suppress a Palestinian demonstration in Bethlehem calling for the Israeli authorities to return the corpses of slain Palestinians; there are no serious injuries. They also arrest 14 Palestinians during late-night raids nr. Ramallah and Hebron, and patrol nr. Hebron and Qalqilya during the day. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 9 Palestinians during raids in Jabal Mukabir and Hizma, and assault and arrest 2 Palestinian youths in Silwan. Israeli settlers smash furniture and other personal property outside a Palestinian home in Silwan. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 1/15; PCHR 1/19)
Representatives from more than 70 countries, including U.S. secy. of state Kerry, gather in Paris for a conference aimed at restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. After reportedly intense negotiations, the conferees unanimously agree to a joint declaration calling on both the Palestinians and Israelis to officially restate their commitments to a 2-state solution and to demonstrate that commitment through policies and actions. Conferees also welcome the prospect of closer cooperation between the Middle East Quartet and the Arab League; and agree to meet again within a year; inter alia. (BBC, GDN, HA, JP, MNA, REU, TOI, WAFA, WP, YA 1/15; HA 1/20)
The Israeli govt. and the PA agree to restart the Joint Water Comm. after 6 years of inactivity. The comm. will discuss allocating additional water to the West Bank and Gaza, increasing water sources with new drilling, environmental issues, agricultural water use and other hydrological matters. The agreement also gives the PA autonomy to deal with select water projects in the West Bank. (JP, YA 1/15; JP 1/17)
Israel’s security cabinet grants Israeli banks dealing with Palestinian banks immunity from terrorism-related lawsuits in Israel and indemnity from similar suits filed abroad. Two Israeli banks have threatened to end partnerships with Palestinian banks because of the prospect of litigation in the U.S. (HA, TOI 1/22)
IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s occupation, separation wall, and settlements in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih), Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, and Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah; 5 Palestinians are injured. They also arrest 2 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during raids nr. Hebron, Ramallah, and Salfit. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces patrol in Hizma village, sparking clashes with stonethrowing Palestinians; 3 Palestinians are injured. In Israel, thousands of Palestinians and solidarity activists gather in Qalanswa to protest the Israeli govt.’s demolition of 11 buildings in the town on 1/10. (HA, MNA, YA 1/13; PCHR 1/19)
The Syrian army accuses Israel of launching an airstrike on a military airport nr. Damascus overnight. “Syrian army command and armed forces warn Israel of the repercussions of the flagrant attack and stresses its continued fight against (this) terrorism and [will] amputate the arms of the perpetrators,” the army says in a statement. Video footage of massive damage at the airport circulates on social media. It’s unclear if the attack resulted in any casualties. (HA, JP, YA 1/13)
IDF troops shoot and kill an unarmed Palestinian at a military post outside Ofra settlement nr. Ramallah. The man does not open fire on the soldiers, despite initial reports to the contrary. A Palestinian official later says that the slain Palestinian suffered from mental disabilities and that he had entered the military area by accident. In an uncharacteristic response, the IDF does not label the man a terrorist. Israeli forces return the man’s body to his family in the evening. Meanwhile, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian driver in Silwan, East Jerusalem, because they think he is attempting to ram them. The police later report that the man was drunk and not attempting a ramming attack. Elsewhere in the West Bank, the IDF violently disperses Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s occupation, settlements, and separation wall in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih), Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, and along Gaza’s border nr. Gaza City; 1 Palestinian is injured. IDF troops conduct raids and house searches in 2 villages nr. Hebron and in Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, arresting 2 Palestinians and sparking minor clashes (there are no serious injuries); and patrol in 3 villages nr. Hebron during the day. Israeli troops also deploy crowd-control measures on Palestinians attending a soccer match in al-Ram nr. Jerusalem. Around 1,200 Palestinians suffer tear gas inhalation. (HA, MNA, TOI 8/26; PCHR 9/1)
In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct late-night house searches and raids nr. Hebron, Tulkarm, Ramallah, and Bethlehem, arresting 7 Palestinians, confiscating some personal property, and violently dispersing stone-throwers nr. Tulkarm (there are no injuries). They also patrol during the day nr. Hebron, Salfit, and Jenin. Israeli forces demolish a 4-km water pipeline under construction nr. Tubas overnight and 2 homes in the Jordan Valley during the day. A Palestinian demolishes 2 of his own animal shelters nr. Nablus to avoid paying for an Israeli demolition crew. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces issue an arrest summons to a Palestinian and arrest a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) leader during raids in Silwan, and order the closure of a Palestinian education organization, the Sa’ed Institution for Educational Consultations, in the Old City, claiming that it supports terrorism against Israelis. A Palestinian demolishes his own home in Ras al-Amud to avoid paying NIS 60,000 (approx. $16,000) for an Israeli demolition crew. (MNA, WAFA 8/8; PCHR 8/11; +972 8/13)
Israel’s army radio reports that the Israeli govt., in response to a Palestinian petition to the Supreme Court, has stated that it no longer opposes the Israel Electric Corporation’s (IEC) punitive cuts of electricity to areas of the West Bank. The IEC punitively cut power to major West Bank cities intermittently over the summer in response to unpaid Palestinian debts (see JPS 45 [4]). (TOI 8/8)
Israeli forces conduct raids in al-Ram village, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; 1 Palestinian child is struck in the chest with an unidentified projectile and killed. Palestinian witnesses say he was killed by live ammunition. The Israeli authorities later dispute the nature of the child’s death, arguing that no live fire was used in the clashes. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home under construction in Bayt Hanina and 4 commercial buildings and a residential structure in Silwan; arrest a West Bank Palestinian 2 days after his release from prison, alleging that he was planning a “terrorist” attack; arrest 3 other Palestinians during late-night raids in Issawiyya; and demolish several Palestinian graves nr. Haram al-Sharif for undisclosed reasons. In the West Bank, the IDF continues its closure of Hebron and the surrounding district that was put in place on 7/1. IDF troops arrest 9 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during house searches and raids nr. Hebron, as well as nr. Ramallah and Bethlehem; and patrol nr. Jenin, Salfit, and Hebron throughout the day. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian home in Duma nr. Nablus, causing damage and 1 light injury. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. al-Bureij r.c. Off Gaza’s n. coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, injuring 1 fisherman. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 7/19; WAFA 7/20; PCHR 7/21)
Israel’s Knesset passes into law, 62–45, the so-called Suspension Bill, allowing 70 MKs, including 10 from the opposition, to initiate a procedure that would suspend 1 of their colleagues. The new draft would still require 90 MKs’ support to effect a suspension. (HA, NYT 7/19; HA, JP, MNA, YA 7/20)
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 the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Nablus after he allegedly throws a knife at them. Israeli forces seal off with cement blocks the main road leading to Nabi Salih nr. Ramallah, after the previous day’s protests in the village. The IDF conducts late-night raids and house searches in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem and Hebron, arresting 1 Palestinian and issuing arrest summons to 3; patrols in 7 villages nr. Ramallah, 2 nr. Hebron, Tulkarm and 2 villages nearby, and 1 village nr. Jenin. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Khan Yunis and later nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working nr. Dayr al-Balah, causing no injuries or damage. In East Jerusalem, right-wing Jewish activists leave anti-Christian graffiti on the doors of Dormition Abbey nr. the Old City late at night. (JP, MNA, WAFA 1/16; HA, MNA, TOI, YA 1/17; PCHR 1/21)
The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Iran has abided by its obligations under the 7/14/2015 nuclear deal it made with the P5+1, and the U.S. and EU formally begin lifting sanctions on Iranian banking, money transfers, trade, insurance, shipping, and other industries (sanctions relating to human rights and terrorism will remain in place). Meanwhile, Iran releases 4 U.S. prisoners, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian. In exchange, the U.S. releases 7 Iranian-Americans imprisoned on sanctions-related charges, inter alia. U.S. officials later confirm the swap, and say that Iran has agreed to release a 5th U.S.- Iranian dual citizen outside of the agreed swap. (AP, GDN, HA, FNA, WP 1/16; AFP, JP 1/17)
Further escalating tension in East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities confiscate an area of land in the historic Bab al-Rahma Islamic cemetery outside the Old City. Palestinian youths then raze the barbed wire fence erected around the confiscated area. IDF troops shoot and injure 3 Palestinian youths in Aida r.c. during clashes that erupt amid late-night raids. The IDF also conducts late-night raids nr. Ramallah and in al-Am‘ari r.c., arresting 3 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 3 others. Israeli settlers damage an electricity transmission tower in Kafr Qaddum, causing a blackout in the village. Separately, an Israeli settler rams his car into a Palestinian shepherd, lightly injuring the man and killing 7 of his sheep. Cross-border gunfire from a Hamas military site in n. Gaza strikes 3 houses in an Israeli kibbutz, causing minor damage. Off Gaza’s n. coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 9/2; MNA 9/3; PCHR 9/10)
The Israeli Knesset passes, 45–14, the 1st reading of a so-called counterterrorism bill that would, inter alia, allow persons convicted of expressing public support for designated terrorist groups to be sentenced to 3 years in prison and allow any charity affiliated with Hamas to be designated a terrorist organization. The bill, supported by right-wing parties and Zionist Union, must pass a review in comm. and 2 more readings before becoming law. (NYT, YA 9/2; HA, YA 9/3)
In Gaza, Sarayat al-Shaykh Umar Hadid fire a Katyusha 130 rocket into Israel and it lands nr. Ashqelon, causing no serious damage or injuries. The group says that the recent rocket attacks (today and 6/3) are meant to remind Hamas that Israel is the enemy. In response, IAF jets launch air strikes on a vacant Hamas military base in n. Gaza, causing severe damage. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian and international activists nonviolently commemorating the 48th anniversary of al-Naksa nr. Jerusalem; there are no serious injuries. The IDF also conducts house searches and raids in 2 villages each nr. Hebron and Qalqilya, arresting 4 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 3 others; patrols in 2 villages each nr. Ramallah and Tulkarm, and 1 each nr. Hebron, Qalqilya, and Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinians on raids in Issawiyya and the Old City. (MNA, WAFA 6/6; HA, MNA, REU 6/7; PCHR 6/11)
An Egyptian appeals court overturns a lower court’s 2/28 designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization, following an appeal from the State Litigation Authority. A court official says the previous ruling is thrown out because the lower court did not have the proper jurisdiction. Hamas welcomes the new decision. (AHR, MNA, YA 6/6)
On the 2d day of billionaire Sheldon Adelson’s summit for pro-Israel U.S. megadonors in Las Vegas, a letter is read aloud from Israeli PM Netanyahu announcing that the Israeli govt. will begin expanding its efforts to counter the growing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The same day, Netanyahu announces that Strategic Affairs Min. Gilad Erdan’s office will receive NIS 100 m. (around $25.4 m.) to escalate its anti-BDS efforts, including hiring 10 new employees to deal solely with “delegitimization” activities worldwide. (FWD 6/4; TOI, YA 6/7; HA [Beinart Analysis], JTA 6/10)
IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis fire on a group of Palestinians approaching the border fence, causing 3 to suffer from tear gas inhalation. Separately, IDF troops stationed e. of Rafah open fire on agricultural lands nr. the border fence, causing damage. In 2 incidents off the coast nr. Jabaliya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at demonstrations to commemorate Land Day, upcoming on 3/30, and protest Israel’s occupation in 6 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, Silwad, outside Ofer Prison, and Jalazun r.c.), and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; 10 Palestinians are moderately injured. The Israeli soldiers also cut off a main waterline into Kafr Qaddum, denying the village water for several hours. IDF troops also violently disperse Palestinian and international activists gathering in Abu Dis at the site of the “Gate of Jerusalem” protest tent camp. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in and around Hebron, arresting 1 Palestinian; conducts patrols in 2 villages nr. Hebron and 1 each nr. Jenin and Jericho. (MNA 3/27; PCHR 4/2)
The Israeli PM’s office announces that it is unfreezing tax revenue transfers to the PA that it has held as a punitive response to the Palestinian accession to the ICC since 1/2015. A statement announcing the move says that the total will be reduced by an undisclosed amount to pay portions of the PA’s debts to Israeli utility providers, such as the IEC. The PA FM criticizes the announced deductions, saying in a statement that they are “an unjustified and illegal procedure that could cause complications.” (AP, HA, JP, NYT, TOI 3/27; AFP, WAFA 3/28; JP 3/29)
French FM Fabius announces that, now that the 3/17 Israeli election has passed, he plans to explore the prospect of introducing another United Nations Security Council (UNSC) res. laying out parameters for a new round of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. Meanwhile, an EU spokesperson announces that Hamas will remain a designated terrorist organization pending a decision on an appeal of the General Court’s 12/17/2014 removal of Hamas from the list. Similarly, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, which the U.S. claims funneled money to Hamas, has been removed from the list since it was last published in 7/2014. (AFP, AP, HA, REU, TOI 3/27; AFP 3/28)
The PA unity govt. delegation led by PM Hamdallah meets with Fatah and Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip, concluding its 3-day trip. (MNA 3/26) The Egyptian attorney, Samir Sabri, who filed the original motion to designate Hamas a terrorist organization in Egypt withdraws his case, saying he hopes to remove “obstacles which Egypt’s political leadership might face in serving its role in the Palestinian reconciliation.” The Court of Urgent Matters, which designated Hamas a terrorist organization 2/28, is expected to reconsider its initial ruling, though it was only in part based on Sabri’s motion. (AHR, MNA 3/27)
The 28th regular session of the UNHRC concludes today after a mo. of meetings, with the council having agreed on 3 res. on the Palestinians. They reaffirm the Palestinians’ right to self-determination, confirm Palestinian rights to sovereignty over their natural resources, and condemn ongoing settlement growth in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. (TOI 3/27; MNA 3/28)
PA Pres. Abbas arrives in Sharm al-Shaykh, Egypt, to participate in an Arab League summit on 3/28 and 3/29. Ahead of the summit, the Arab League agrees to send a delegation to Washington to lobby the U.S. Congress and promote the Arab Peace Initiative. (WAFA 2/25; MNA 3/27; HA 3/28)
In Gaza, Israeli troops arrest a Palestinian at the Erez border crossing. Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians gather in Gaza City and Khan Yunis to protest the Egyptian court’s 2/28 designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization. In the West Bank, IDF troops clash with stone-throwing residents in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem during a raid; 2 Palestinians are injured with live ammunition and 2 are arrested. The IDF conducts a house search nr. Ramallah, arresting 1 Palestinian; patrols in 2 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, and 2 villages nr. Ramallah, as well as ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. and Fasayil r.c. nr. Jericho. Israeli troops detain 2 Palestinian shepherds and 2 international activists nr. Hebron. The IDF conducts a large-scale drill nr. Hebron, mobilizing around 13,000 reserves to prepare for a possible eruption of unrest in the West Bank. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities order a Palestinian family to evacuate their home in Shaykh Jarrah, pursuant to legal proceedings that began in 2011. Israeli forces conduct house searches and raids nr. the Old City, arresting 1 Palestinian. (MNA, WAFA, YA 3/1; AFP, MNA, WAFA 3/2; PCHR 3/5)
Similar to his 2/27 call, U.S. Secy. of State Kerry phones PA Pres. Abbas and asks him to refrain from taking “harsh” decisions ahead of the Israeli elections on 3/17. (JP, TOI 3/1; MNA 3/7)
A delegation representing Islamic Jihad arrives in Cairo for negotiations with Egyptian officials on the Rafah border crossing. They will negotiate until 3/7. Meanwhile, Hamas officials lobby Saudi leadership to apply pressure on the Egyptian govt. to reverse the 2/28 designation of the group as a terrorist organization. (HA 3/4)
The annual American Israel Public Affairs Comm. (AIPAC) conference begins today, with a record-breaking 16,000 in attendance. The organization’s lobbyists will be on Capitol Hill on 3/3 to lobby for the passage of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act and the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act. (HA, TOI 3/1, 3/2)
In the West Bank, IDF troops open fire with live ammunition on a group of young Palestinians throwing Molotov cocktails at Israeli settlers’ cars nr. Nablus, killing 1 and lightly injuring another. Later, Israeli settlers gather between Nablus and Ramallah to throw rocks at Palestinians’ cars. Also, IDF troops deploy heavily in the area, arresting 1 Palestinian at a mobile checkpoint and a relative of the deceased Palestinian on a raid in Burin village. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron and nr. Salfit; patrols nr. Ramallah, Jericho, Qalqilya, and Jenin. Israeli settlers cut down a number of olive and almond trees outside Yatta nr. Hebron. PA security forces conduct house searches and raids in Nablus and nearby Balata r.c. In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops e. of Khan Yunis open fire on agricultural land nr. the border fence, causing damage. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police arrest 1 Palestinian youth for allegedly shooting fireworks at them while they patrol in al-Tur and, later, 2 other Palestinians on arrest raids in the neighborhood. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 1/31; PCHR 2/5)
A Hamas delegation meets with senior Hizballah officials in Beirut to discuss the recent tension on the Lebanon-Israel border and possible avenues for cooperation. (JP 2/1)
Egypt’s Court of Urgent Matters designates Hamas’s armed wing, Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, as a terrorist organization. The court’s ruling cites the armed wing’s role in the 10/24 attack on Egyptian security forces in Sinai that was claimed by the group now known as the Sinai Province of the Islamic State. (AHR, MEE, REU, TOI 1/31)
In East Jerusalem, a 16-year-old Palestinian dies of wounds sustained during clashes on 8/31. In the immediate aftermath of his death, the IDF says that his injuries were incurred when he was hit in the leg with a sponge-tipped bullet and then fell, hitting his head on the ground, while the youth’s family says that he was shot in the head at close range. (A Palestinian autopsy will contradict the IDF and corroborate the family’s story on 9/14.) In response to his death, Palestinians protest in several neighborhoods, including Wadi al-Juz, where Israeli police respond to stone-throwing with rubber-coated metal bullets. In the French Hill settlement, Palestinian demonstrators throw Molotov cocktails at a gas station, causing damage. Off the coast of the Gaza Strip, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats in 2 separate incidents, causing no injuries or damage. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 4 villages nr. Ramallah, 2 villages nr. Salfit, and 1 village each nr. Hebron and Jenin. (HA, JP 9/7; PCHR 9/11; JP 9/15)
PA PM Rami Hamdallah says that the “govt. and the banks operating in the Palestinian territories were warned that if they make payments to former Hamas govt. employees in Gaza then the govt. and the people will be boycotted.” Separately, PA Pres. Abbas tells Palestinian media that “we will not accept the situation with Hamas continuing as it is at the moment.” Meanwhile, PA Dep. PM Muhammad Mustafa says that the PA is “looking for a temporary solution” to the problem of salaries for Hamas-appointed civil servants in the Gaza Strip, like sending money “through nongovernmental organizations such as the UN or any other entity.” He adds, “We want to avoid any legal confrontation with the U.S. whose law prohibits channelling money to Hamas because it’s blacklisted as a terrorist organization.” (AFP, MNA, WAFA 9/7)
The IDF continues its assault on the Gaza Strip by air, land, and sea, killing 64 Palestinians with strikes on approximately 100 targets. Attacks occur before and after a humanitarian cease-fire running from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. local time. The cease-fire is not observed in areas of Rafah where IDF ground troops are targeting and destroying tunnels. Armed Palestinian groups fire rockets over Ashdod and Ashqelon, causing no injuries. Other rockets land nr. the Gaza border, also causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian nr. Tulkarm. The IDF patrols during the day in 2 villages nr. Jericho and al-Bireh. In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian man kills an Israeli when he drives an excavator into pedestrians on the sidewalk. Israeli police shoot and kill the driver on the spot and later describe the incident as a “terrorist attack.” In a separate incident, armed Palestinians open fire on an Israeli soldier nr. Hebrew University, injuring him. In Issawiyya, dozens of Palestinians clash with Israeli security forces, causing no serious injuries. At Haram al-Sharif, Israeli security forces enter to escort right-wing Jewish activists out of the area. Clashes break out with Palestinian worshippers, 10 of whom are injured by rubber-coated metal bullets and stun grenades. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, MNA, REU, YA 8/4; PCHR 8/5)
In Cairo, reps. of Israel and Hamas agree to a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire to begin on 8/5 at 8:00 A.M. local time, with Egyptian officials urging reps. of all sides to attend further talks to negotiate a longer term cease-fire. Reps. of Hamas and Islamic Jihad meet with Egyptian intelligence officials to discuss a plan to end the violence. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, REU 8/4)
U.S. Pres. Obama signs into law a joint res. appropriating $225 m. in supplemental funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. The Senate and House previously passed this res. on 8/1 in 2 of the final actions taken before the 2 chambers adjourned for a 1-mo. recess in 8/2014. (AP 8/4; REU 8/5)
The IDF continues its assault on the Gaza Strip by land, sea, and air, killing 66 Palestinians. Armed Palestinian groups fire more than 80 rockets into Israel, with 16 intercepted by Iron Dome batteries. Palestinian fighters kill 2 Israeli soldiers in Gaza. Across the West Bank, there are large demonstrations against the attack on Gaza in Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Salfit, Tulkarm, and other locations. IDF troops kill 7 Palestinians as clashes break out during the protests. In one of the clashes, at Hawara checkpoint, an Israeli settler kills a Palestinian, bringing the day’s total to 8. In addition, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum). There are no serious injuries, except in Bil‘in, where 1 is injured by a bullet, and Ni‘lin, where 2 are injured by bullets. In addition, Jewish settlers attack 2 Palestinians in Bayt Hanina, seriously injuring 1. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces clash with Palestinians after worshippers under the age of 50 are banned from entering Haram al-Sharif, injuring around 40. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, MNA, YA 7/25; PCHR 7/26)
Meanwhile, in the early afternoon the Israeli cabinet rejects a draft of cease-fire principles proposed by U.S. Secy. of State Kerry, which he based partly on consultations with reps. of Qatar and Turkey. A senior Israeli official reportedly later described the proposal as a “strategic terrorist attack.” Later, Secy. Kerry meets with the UN’s Ban and Arab League Secy.-Gen. al-‘Arabi to discuss the latest developments in Gaza. Kerry also meets with Egyptian FM Shoukri. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, JP 7/25; HA 7/28)
In the evening, the UN, U.S., Egypt, and the Arab League call for an extendable 12-hour humanitarian cease-fire. PM Netanyahu tells Secy. of State Kerry that Israel will observe the humanitarian pause the following day, but the IDF will continue working to locate “terror tunnels.” Hamas spokesperson Abu Zuhri says that al-Qassam Brigades and other factions will observe the humanitarian pause. (AFP, AP, JP, MNA, YA 7/25)
The IDF continues its assault on the Gaza Strip, killing 61 Palestinians. Local officials say targets struck include 5 mosques and a soccer stadium, in addition to other Palestinian infrastructure and multiple tunnels. Prolonged Israeli shelling of Khan Yunis kills at least 6 and wounds more than 20. Also, the IDF strikes a UNRWA-run school in c. Gaza. Palestinian fighters kill 2 Israeli soldiers overnight and fire approximately 67 rockets and mortar shells into Israel, with 18 projectiles intercepted by Iron Dome batteries. In the West Bank, an Israeli citizen shoots and kills a Palestinian man between al-Ram and Hizma checkpoint n. of Jerusalem, reportedly after the Palestinian man threw stones at the Israeli’s car. IDF troops shoot and injure 5 Palestinians in ‘Askar r.c. nr. Nablus, during clashes in an arrest raid. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Nablus and 2 villages nr. Ramallah at night. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces clash with Palestinians in at-Tur, Shu‘fat r.c., and Issawiyya, causing no serious injuries. (AFP, AP, JP, MNA, REU, YA 7/22; PCHR 7/23)
After 1 rocket lands nr. Ben Gurion Airport, the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) bans flights to and from Israel for at least 24 hours, and the European Aviation Safety Agency advises all carriers to avoid Tel Aviv “until further notice.” Israel’s Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, in a statement, says “there is no need for U.S. carriers to suspend flights and reward terrorism.” U.S. Secy. of State Kerry and PM Netanyahu later discuss the FAA ban on a phone call. (AFP, AP, JP, MNA, REU, YA 7/22)
At a monthly meeting of the EU Council, the 28 EU FMs issue a statement that “strongly condemns the indiscriminate firing of rockets into Israel by Hamas and militant groups in the Gaza Strip” and also “condemns calls on the civilian population of Gaza to provide themselves as human shields.” Meanwhile, Secy. of State Kerry meets with Egypt’s Pres. al-Sisi in Cairo to discuss Gaza, and afterward, affirms that “there is a framework available to end the violence, and that framework was the Egyptian initiative.” Senior Fatah official al-Ahmad flies in to Cairo to also meet with Kerry. In Israel, UN Secy.-Gen. Ban meets with PM Netanyahu and at a Tel Aviv press conference, Ban condemns the rocket attacks, while the Israeli leader accuses Hamas of committing a “double war crime” of targeting Israeli civilians while using Palestinian civilians as human shields. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, MNA, REU, YA 7/22)