The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tulkarm and in 5 villages nr. Qalqilya, 2 each nr. Jenin and Salfit, and 1 each nr. Jericho, Nablus, Ramallah, and Tulkarm; conducts a late-night raid on the Hebron home of Hamas-affiliated PC mbr. Muhammad al-Tal, arresting him. Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists march to the IDF’s Beit El checkpoint outside Ramallah and demand its removal; IDF soldiers fire tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets, and stun grenades at the protesters, seriously injuring 1 Palestinian. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar settlement nr. Nablus burn and uproot at least 20 Palestinian olive trees nr. Madama village. (PCHR 12/30; OCHA 12/31)

IDF troops on the s. Gaza border (deploying tanks and helicopters) exchange fire with Islamic Jihad gunmen in the border area e. of Khan Yunis for several hrs., killing 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Bayt Lahiya, wounding 1 Palestinian fisherman. Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts synchronized afternoon patrols in 3 villages nr. Jenin; later patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin, 1 nr. Qalqilya, 1 nr. Ramallah; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah. Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists demonstrate against Jewish settlement construction in Hebron, marching to Beit Romano and Avraham Avino settlements; IDF soldiers beat 2 Palestinian demonstrators and arrest 2 internationals and 1 Israeli. Jewish settlers escorted by IDF troops fence off 600 d. of Palestinian land nr. Missa Ya’ir settlement nr. Hebron. (AFP 12/25; WP, WT 12/27; PCHR 12/30; OCHA 12/31)

Ecuador recognizes Palestine as a state based on 1967 borders. (YA 12/25)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Qassam rocket, 1 mortar fr. Gaza into Israel during the day, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF makes at least 5 air strikes on central and s. Gaza, hitting 3 smuggling tunnels and an IQB target, injuring 3 IQB mbrs. In the West Bank, the IDF sets up a checkpoint outside Nabi Salih village nr. Ramallah, searching Palestinian vehicles and firing tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, moderately wounding 1 Palestinian teenager; conducts afternoon patrols in villages nr. Jenin, Tulkarm; conducts late-night patrols in Tulkarm and a village nr. Jenin. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists in some areas) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Dayr Nizam/Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 4 Palestinians and 1 Israeli journalist were injured, and 1 Palestinian and 3 Israelis are arrested. (JP 12/24; AP, AFP, JP 12/25; IDFS 12/26; PCHR 12/30; OCHA 12/31)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts morning patrols in 3 villages nr. Jenin, Qalqilya, and Salfit and late-night patrols in Nabi Salih nr. Ramallah. The IDF also escorts Jewish settlers into Kifl Haris village nr. Salfit to pray at Joseph’s Tomb, withdrawing late at night; during the day the settlers, angry over vandalism at the site on 12/15, vandalize 5 Palestinian tombs and several Palestinian cars. (OCHA, PCHR 12/23)

U.S. special envoy Mitchell returns to the region for a 2-day visit aimed at reviving indirect talks. He says he will urge the Israeli and Palestinian sides to present their final status positions separately to the U.S. in writing so that the U.S. can recommend bridging proposals. (HA 12/13; NYT, WP 12/14)

EU FMs meeting in Brussels say the EU will not recognize a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood until “an appropriate time.” (WJW 12/14)

In the afternoon, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire a flechette round on a group of armed IQB mbrs. operating nr. the border fence n. of Bayt Lahiya, wounding 2. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Qalqilya, Ramallah. Jewish settlers fr. Susia settlement nr. Hebron attack 4 nearby Palestinian homes, beating several Palestinians. (PCHR 12/16; OCHA 12/17)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the fmr. Jewish settlement sites, wounding 2. Unidentified Palestinians fire a mortar fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly injuring 1 Israeli private security guard. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts early-morning arrest raids, house searches in Nur Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm; patrols in Salfit (late evening) and in 3 villages nr. Qalqilya (1 early morning, 2 late night) and 1 nr. Ramallah (late night). Jewish settlers fr. Sha’are Tikva settlement nr. Qalqilya dump waste water onto the playgrounds and land surrounding a secondary school in nearby ‘Azzun ‘Atma village. Jewish settlers escorted by IDF soldiers enter Kifl Haris village nr. Salfit to pray at Joshua’s Tomb, vandalizing a Palestinian car en route. (PCHR 12/16; OCHA 12/17)

Israel’s security cabinet agrees in principle to allow more exports out of Gaza and expects details to be fleshed out within the next few days, but there is no serious change before the end of the quarter. In the afternoon and early evening, unidentified Palestinians fire 6 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage in 1 instance and moderately injuring 1 Israeli in another. The IDF makes 4 air strikes on al-Mughraqa in c. Gaza, destroying a building used by Hamas’s Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades (IQB), a partially constructed home, and a well, causing no reported injuries; makes another air strike destroying an IQB building in Gaza City’s al-Zaytun neighborhood, damaging several surrounding buildings but causing no serious injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in Kifl Haris nr. Salfit. Israeli authorities deport detained Hamas-affiliated PC mbr. Muhammad Abu Tir, whose Jerusalem residency status was revoked in 5/2010, to Ramallah. (JP, UPI 12/8; JP, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT, YA 12/9; OCHA 12/10; PCHR 12/16; OCHA 12/17)

As the Mount Carmel fire spreads, Netanyahu accepts assistance fr. the PA, which sends 13 firefighters and several fire trucks to help extinguish blazes nr. the Israeli Palestinian towns of Taibeh and Barta‘a; many other countries also send firefighters and equipment. Meanwhile, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the demolished fmr. settlement sites nr. the northern border, injuring 1. Late in the evening, IDF troops on the c. Gaza border e. of Dayr al-Balah fire on armed Palestinians operating nr. the border fence, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 4 villages n. and e. of Qalqilya during the day; conducts late-night patrols in Bayt Liqia nr. Ramallah (without incident) and Jenin r.c. (firing stun grenades, causing no injuries); conducts late-night house searches nr. Jenin. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists in some areas) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Dayr Nizam/Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 2 Palestinians are moderately injured, several are beaten, and 10s suffer tear gas inhalation. (YA 12/3; NYT 12/4; PCHR 12/9; OCHA 12/10)

Israel’s Interior Min. reports for the first time that preliminary approval for construction of 625 housing units in East Jerusalem’s Pisgat Ze’ev was quietly granted in 11/2010. During the day, the IDF makes another incursion into the Gaza area e. of Jabaliya that was shelled on 12/1, firing on the surrounding area but causing no reported injuries. A Palestinian is fatally electrocuted in a smuggling tunnel accident on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Izbal Jaloud village nr. Qalqilya during the day; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish settlement nr. Ramallah attempt to storm Nabi Salih village but are removed by IDF troops; later in the day, Palestinian youths throw stones at IDF troops patrolling the area, who respond with tear gas and stun grenades, causing no serious injuries. In n. Israel, 1,000s of Israelis flee their homes as a major forest fire brought on by drought tears through the Mount Carmel forest; at least 36 Israelis are left dead, most of them prison guards racing to evacuate inmates fr. a jail. (NYT, WP 12/3; PCHR 12/9; OCHA 12/10)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the fmr. Jewish settlement sites and in the demolished Erez industrial zone, wounding 2. IDF troops on the Bayt Lahiya coast fire on Palestinian fishing boats off shore, wounding 1 fisherman. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Tulkarm, firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them in 1 incident, causing no reported casualties; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya. (PCHR 12/2; OCHA 12/3)

Israeli municipal authorities in Jerusalem demolish 9 Palestinian shops in Hizma village in the East Jerusalem suburbs. The IDF makes a brief incursion into n. Gaza to level land along the border fence to clear lines of sight. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a mosque, 1 Palestinian home, and 10 storehouses in Khirbat Yazra village nr. Tubas, displacing 15 Palestinians; demolishes another Palestinian home in Yatta village nr. Hebron, displacing 25 Palestinians; conducts rare daytime arrest raids, searches nr. Jenin, Tulkarm; patrols in Tulkarm and Kharbatha al-Misbah village nr. Ramallah in the afternoon, firing rubber-coated steel bullets and beating several stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. (PCHR 12/2; OCHA 12/3)

The Knesset passes (65-33, with 22 absent) a law that would require the government to hold a national referendum before ceding Israeli territory, potentially hindering the government’s ability to reach peace deals with Syria and the Palestinians; West Bank lands, which were never annexed by Israel, would not fall under the new requirement. (NYT 11/23)

The IDF troops make a brief incursion into c. Gaza to level lands along the border fence east of Bureij refugee camp (r.c.), firing on residential areas to keep Palestinians indoors, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tulkarm in the morning without incident; conducts afternoon arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, in Jenin, and nr. Bethlehem and Ramallah. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo settlement nr. Ramallah, escorted by IDF soldiers, expel Palestinian farmers fr. a plot of land adjacent to the settlement. (PCHR 11/25; OCHA 11/26)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires tear gas and stun grenades to disperse Palestinians and international activists demonstrating against Israeli land seizures nr. Bayt Umar nr. Hebron, injuring 2 Palestinians moderately (including an 8-yr.-old) and 6 lightly, and arresting 5 international activists and a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy; conducts late-night patrols in Bayt Liqya nr. Ramallah (firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no injuries) and Jit nr. Qalqilya (without incident); conducts late-night house searches nr. Hebron, summoning 3 Palestinians for interrogation. (PCHR 11/25; OCHA 11/26)

Overnight, unidentified Palestinians fire 3 Qassam rockets and 1 manufactured Grad rocket fr. Gaza into Israel; the Qassams land harmlessly (1 inside Gaza, 2 in Israel), while the Grad strikes nr. a cattle farm, causing damage and injuring some livestock. In the afternoon, unidentified Palestinians fire 3 mortars into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Later in the afternoon, the Popular Resistance Comms. (PRCs; an umbrella group comprising all Gaza factions) fire another 4 mortars into Israel containing white phosphorous scavenged fr. unexploded IDF ordnance (UXO), causing no damage or injuries. Israel files an official complaint with the UN over the serious escalation and retaliates in the evening with 4 air strikes in and around Bani Suhayla village s. of Khan Yunis, targeting and destroying an Islamic Jihad training site, 1 Palestinian home, and an agricultural storehouse, causing heavy collateral damage to another 2d home, and injuring 6 Palestinian civilians (including children ages 2 and 14). Late at night, 2 more air strikes destroy a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border. Meanwhile, in the morning, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the abandoned settlement sites nr. the border, wounding 1. Late at night, IDF troops make an incursion 1,500 m into al-Shuka in s. Gaza, firing on residential areas to keep Palestinians in their homes, monitoring the area, and withdrawing after 3 hrs.; IDF troops on the s. Gaza border open heavy fire on the demolished Dahaniyya airport site, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih/Dayr Nizam nr. Ramallah. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, leaving 5 Palestinians lightly injured (3 by tear gas canisters, 1 by a rubber-coated steel bullet) and 10s suffering tear gas inhalation. (JP, REU, YA 11/19; WP, YA 11/20; PCHR 11/25; OCHA 11/26)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in al-‘Araqa village nr. Jenin in the morning, questioning Palestinians on the street and summoning 4 for interrogation; conducts patrols without incident in 3 villages nr. Ramallah and Salfit during the day and in Qabatya nr. Jenin late at night; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. IDF soldiers also make a late-night incursion into Tulkarm where they raid a home and business, confiscating money, personal property, and business assets, saying they are implementing an Israeli court order to confiscate $650,000 that the father of the family (currently jailed in Israel) confessed to receiving from Hamas as compensation for his company, which was destroyed by arson in 6/2007 during rioting over Hamas’s takeover of Gaza. A Jewish settler fr. Einav settlement deliberately runs down a Palestinian roadside vendor nr. Tulkarm, moderately injuring him; the IDF detains the settler at a nearby checkpoint for questioning. (WP 11/15; OCHA 11/24; PCHR 11/25)

In New York, Secy. of State Clinton and Netanyahu meet for 7 hrs. (including at least 2 hrs. one-on-one) to finalize an incentives package and discuss other steps toward reviving peace talks. (NYT, WP 11/12)

IDF troops on the s. Gaza border shell an open area and vacant home e. of Abasan village where a group of armed Palestinians were assembling, causing no reported casualties. In the West Bank, the IDF enters Jit village nr. Qalqilya to evacuate and close a secondary school where children were holding an assembly commemorating the 6th anniversary of Yasir Arafat’s death; sends undercover units into Jab‘a village nr. Jenin in the afternoon, raiding a home and detaining 1 Palestinian; patrols in Zabbuba village nr. Jenin in the afternoon, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no injuries; conducts late-night house searches in and around Hebron and in Bil‘in, making no arrests; conducts late night patrols without incident in Tulkarm town and r.c. Jewish settlers stone Palestinian vehicles on the Nablus–Ramallah road. (OCHA 11/24; PCHR 11/25)

Israel’s Interior Min. says it will move forward with plans to build 1,300 new Jewish settlement housing units in East Jerusalem (978 in Har Homa/Jabal Abu Ghunaym, 320 in Ramot). At the same time, Israel issues construction tenders for 800 units in the West Bank settlement of Ariel, which Israel intends to keep under final status. Meanwhile, Israel’s Jerusalem municipal authorities issue a report stating that the municipality is currently building more than 13,500 housing units for Jews in various Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem. The UN, U.S., and PA denounce the plans. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols without incident in Zayta village nr. Tulkarm in the morning; patrols in Bayt Liqya late at night, firing rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries. (HA, JAZ, MNA, YA 11/8; HA, NYT, WP, WT 11/9; OCHA, PCHR 11/11)

Pres. Obama dispatches U.S. Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on a 3-day regional tour of the Middle East, with stops in Syria (to warn Damascus against interfering in Lebanon), Turkey (to urge Turkey to repair its ties with Israel), Lebanon (to show support for Pres. Michel Suleiman), and Israel and Ramallah (to explore ways of reviving the peace talks). (XIN 11/8; AP 11/9; NYT 11/11)

The Arab League postpones its planned 11/9 meeting until after the 11/16–20 Eid al-Adha holiday to give ongoing U.S.-Israeli talks a final chance to reach an arrangement that would allow continuation of Israeli-Palestinian direct talks. (MNA 11/7; Foreign Policy 11/9)

Netanyahu arrives in the U.S. on a 5-day visit to attend the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) general assembly in New Orleans and consult with U.S. officials (excluding Obama, who left on 11/5 for a 10-day trip to South East Asia). On the sidelines of the JFNA assembly today, he meets with VP Joe Biden for talks that focus primarily on Iran (WP 11/9; WJW 11/11)

IDF troops on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials inside the industrial zone, wounding 1. IDF troops make a brief incursion into c. Gaza to level lands along the border fence e. of Gaza Valley village. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts a rare daytime house search nr. Jenin; patrols without incident 2 villages nr. Jenin during the day; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya (also detonating explosives in a store on the 1st floor of a Palestinian building, causing heavy damage), Ramallah. (OCHA, PCHR 11/11)

In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes Palestinian land around Eli settlement; patrols without incident in villages nr. Jenin, Ramallah, and Tulkarm; patrols in Bayt Liqya late in the evening, firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries. Jewish settlers escorted by IDF troops enter Nablus to pray at Joseph’s Tomb and afterward harass local Palestinians. (OCHA, PCHR 11/11)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction material in the fmr. settlement sites, wounding 1. Hamas’s acting FM Mahmud Zahhar warns that Gazans who fire rockets at Israel violate an agreement among Palestinian factions not to initiate strikes on Israeli targets and face possible arrest. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho and Jenin in the morning, making no arrests; makes a late-night raid into Mazra‘a village nr. Ramallah, patrolling streets and firing rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries; makes a late-night raid on a Palestinian apartment building in Ya‘bad village nr. Jenin, photographing it and questioning the owner; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Askar r.c. and nearby Nablus, in Hebron, and nr. Salfit. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo settlement throw stones at Palestinians driving on the nearby Nablus– Ramallah road, causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces raid and search a Palestinian home in the alBustan area of Silwan early in the morning, arresting 2 Palestinians. (al-Hayat 10/31; PCHR 11/4; OCHA 11/5)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials inside the former settlement sites, wounding 1. Also in Gaza, 10,000s of Palestinians turn out for a rally commemorating Islamic Jihad’s 23d anniversary. Addressing the crowd by telephone from Damascus, the movement’s head, Abdallah Shallah, denounces the PA for having resumed direct talks with Israel, calls any formal agreement with Israel “forbidden religiously and politically,” and says the duty of all Palestinians should be to “eliminate” Israel. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in and around Tulkarm twice during the day, making no arrests. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists in some locations) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih/Dayr Nizam. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 10s suffer tear gas inhalation and 7 Palestinians are moderately injured. Jewish settlers from Shvut Rachel settlement nr. Ramallah, who have leveled 280 d. of adjacent Palestinian agricultural land since 10/24, place 9 new mobile homes on the cleared plot, effectively expanding the settlement. (NYT 10/30; PCHR 11/4; OCHA 11/5)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a mortar fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts evening and late-night patrols in village nr. Jericho and in Ramallah, making no arrests. (JP 10/28; PCHR 11/4; OCHA 11/5)

IDF troops on the e. Gaza border fire on Islamic Jihad mbrs. planting roadside bombs nr. the border fence e. of Jabaliya r.c., killing 1 Islamic Jihad mbr. and damaging a nearby Palestinian home. Earlier in the day, unidentified Palestinians fire 1 mortar fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in demolished buildings nr. the border fence n. of Bayt Lahiya, wounding 1. In the West Bank, IDF troops and intelligence units raid the homes of 2 local Hamas leaders and 1 local Islamic Jihad leader in Jenin, stating they had not come to arrest the men but to speak with them; the intelligence officers’ questions focus on relations between the PA and Hamas, the prospects for national reconciliation, Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and prospects for peace, the PA dismissal of Hamas mbrs. fr. public jobs, and the financial and political bans on Hamas. The IDF also bulldozes 18 d. of Palestinian agricultural land in Issawiyya nr. Jerusalem; patrols in Bayt Liqya late at night without incident; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin; conducts late-night patrols in Tulkarm, stopping Palestinian drivers to search their vehicles and check their IDs. Palestinians in Dayr al-Khattab village nr. Nablus report that in the previous wk. settlers fr. nearby Elon Moreh settlement pumped wastewater onto the villages agricultural lands, damaging 220 olive trees. Inside Israel, 100s of Israeli police escort 10s of right-wing Jewish extremists chanting “death to terrorists” on a march through the Israeli-Palestinian town of Umm al-Fahm in a show of force, sparking stone-throwing clashes with Palestinian residents; Israeli police respond with tear gas, stun grenades, and batons; 10 people are arrested, and around 24 injured (including 2 Israeli Arab MKs). (Financial Times, YA 10/27; NYT, PCHR 10/28; PCHR 11/4; OCHA 11/5)

IDF troops on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials from the ruins of Palestinian homes nr. the Erez industrial zone, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Jenin and nearby villages in the morning, making no arrests; patrols without incident in villages nr. Jericho, Ramallah, Tulkarm in the evening; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Nablus. OCHA reports (10/29) that in the previous week, 3 Palestinians were killed in tunnel-related accidents (2 electrocuted, 1 fell) and 3 were injured (electrocution, suffocation). (PCHR 10/28; OCHA 10/29)

The Israeli human rights group Peace Now estimates that Jewish settlers have started work on 600 settlement housing units in at least 36 settlements since the freeze ended on 9/26. At least half of the construction is to lay foundations for new houses—a priority for settlers in anticipation of reimposition of the temporary settlement freeze, which allowed construction to continue on units that already had their foundations poured. (NYT, WP 10/22)

Egypt allows an aid convoy of 140 vans to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing; the humanitarian goods were provided by London-based pro-Palestinian activists. Unidentified Palestinians fire a mortar fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. IDF troops on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials inside the destroyed industrial zone, wounding 2. IDF troops also enter Gaza briefly to retrieve an unmanned Israeli drone that crashed nr. the northern border. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols without incident in villages nr. Jericho, Ramallah, Tulkarm; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. Palestinians report (PCHR 10/21) that in the previous week: (a) the IDF confiscated 130 d. of Palestinian agricultural land nr. Qalqilya for construction of a “security road” past Keddumim settlement, and (b) Jewish settlers seized and leveled 100 d. of Palestinian agricultural land located between the separation wall and the Green Line, accessible to the Palestinian owners only through a gate in the fence that the IDF opens only occasionally. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police raid and search a Palestinian clothing store. (AFP, JP, PCHR 10/21; NYT 10/22; PCHR 10/28; OCHA 10/29)

An explosion inside a Hamas security compound in Rafah damages more than 30 houses, 4 schools, and 1 clinic nearby, injuring 26 Palestinian civilians (including 18 children, 15 of whom were inside their classrooms), mostly by flying glass; the reason for the explosion is unclear. The IDF makes a brief incursion into s. Gaza e. of Khan Yunis to level land along the border to clear lines of sight, firing on surrounding areas to keep Palestinians away, seriously wounding a 65-yr.-old Palestinian harvesting olives 1,000 m away. In the West Bank, the IDF raids a coal plant nr. the separation wall w. of Jenin, confiscating 40 tons of wood and sealing the building, saying that local Jewish settlers claimed it was a nuisance; makes a daytime incursion into Barta‘a nr. Jenin, raiding several stores and interrogating several Palestinians, but making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Ramallah. Jewish settlers fr. Eli settlement nr. Nablus vandalize and set fire to part of a Palestinian school nearby. Jewish settlers fr. Elon Moreh nr. Nablus fire on and chase off Palestinians harvesting olives nearby. Jewish settlers fr. Keddumim nr. Qalqilya throw stones at Palestinian vehicles driving on the nearby Nablus–Qalqilya road, causing no injuries. (PCHR 10/21; OCHA 10/22; PCHR 10/28; OCHA 10/29)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the fmr. settlement sites, wounding 1. In the West Bank the IDF conducts evening patrols without incident in 3 villages nr. Jenin, Jericho, and Tulkarm; makes a late-night incursion into Bayt Liqya nr. Ramallah, firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries. (PCHR 10/21; OCHA 10/22)

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah, Salfit. Jewish settlers level 7 d. of land nr. Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Havat Gilad settlement nr. Qalqilya harvest and steal the olives fr. a nearby Palestinian grove. (PCHR 10/14; OCHA 10/15)

The Israeli cabinet approves (22-8) submission of a bill to the Knesset that would require a loyalty oath as Netanyahu proposed on 10/6, but clarifying that Israeli Palestinians would not be required to make the pledge to maintain citizenship. (NYT, WP 10/11; NYT 10/19; JPI 10/22)

In the afternoon, the IDF makes an air strike on a car crossing a bridge btwn. c. Gaza’s Nussayrat r.c., and al-Mughraqa village in an attempt to assassinate local Fatah cmdr. ‘Abd al-Ra’uf Ahmad Safadi, striking in front of the car, injuring Safadi, a passenger in his car, and 2 children nearby (ages 2 and 10). In addition, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the fmr. settlement sites, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a predawn raid on Bardala village in the Jordan Valley, raiding and searching several homes and summoning 2 Palestinians for questioning; patrols without incident in Fasayil village nr. Jericho in the morning and in al-‘Auja village nr. Jericho and Bayt Liqya village nr. Ramallah in the afternoon; conducts late-night house searches nr. Tulkarm, making no arrests. (PCHR 10/14; OCHA 10/15)

In a bid to secure the backing of rightwing coalition partners for a package of U.S. guarantees for a short extension of the settlement freeze, Netanyahu proposes legislation that would require those becoming Israeli citizens to pledge a loyalty oath to “the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state,” as opposed to simply “the State of Israel” as it is now worded. (NYT 10/7, 10/8; WP 10/11)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF retaliates with a late-night air strike on an IQB training site in the Shaykh Ridwan area of Gaza City, destroying a building, damaging 30 surrounding buildings and 3 cars, and injuring 6 Palestinian civilians. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a brief incursion into Tulkarm early in the morning to photograph the entrances of a police station, the local PASF and PA General Intelligence headquarters, and a PASF medical services building, withdrawing without incident; blocks Palestinians from joining a solidarity rally with Jewish settlers outside Bayt Fajjar village (site of a mosque arson on 10/4), sparking clashes between stonethrowing Palestinian youths and soldiers (no serious injuries reported); patrols late at night, without incident in 2 villages n. of Jenin; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’a r.c. and Zawata village, both nr. Nablus. The Israeli daily Ha’Aretz reports that nearly 350 housing units are currently under construction in West Bank settlements, including 56 in Keddumim nr. Qalqilya, 54 in Ariel n. of Salfit, 56 in Karme Tzur; 24 within Ma’ate Binyamin regional council area (nr. Jerusalem and Ramallah), 34 in Kiryat Arba, and 1 each in Barqan, Dolev, Kefar Adumim, Kochav HaShachar, Oranit, Revava, Sha’are Tikva, Tekoa, and Yakir. (HA, JP 10/6; NYT, PCHR, REU, YA 10/7; PCHR 10/14; OCHA 10/15)