The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, an Israeli officer shoots and kills a stone-throwing Palestinian youth during clashes nr. the Qalandia checkpoint s. of Ramallah. There are no other serious injuries. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against the Israeli occupation in 6 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, Silwad, Jalazun r.c., and outside Ofer Prison), and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; 1 Palestinian is seriously injured. The IDF also patrols in 4 villages nr. Ramallah, ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c., and 1 village nr. Jericho. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles nr. Nablus, causing damage. Following yesterday’s crackdown on Hamas mbrs., the PASF arrests 21 Palestinian youths affiliated with Hamas’s student organization at an-Najah National University nr. Nablus. (MNA 7/2; HA, MNA, NYT 7/3; TOI, WAFA 7/4; PCHR 7/9; EI [video] 7/13)

In Egypt, SPIS fires 3 Grad rockets into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. (AFP, MNA 7/3; HA 7/4)

The UNHRC votes, 41–1, with 5 abstentions, to adopt a res. welcoming the report produced by the Council’s commission of inquiry, which was published on 6/22. The U.S. casts the lone vote in opposition and India, Kenya, Ethiopia, Paraguay, and Macedonia abstain. (HA, JTA, MEE, MNA, REU, YA 7/3; JP 7/4; YA 7/5; TOI 7/6; JTA 7/7)

Unidentified assailants fire 2 Grad rockets from the Egyptian Sinai into Israel, striking n. of Elat, causing no damage or injuries. No group takes responsibility. (HA 6/16, 6/17)

The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Jenin and Qalqilya in the morning; in Qalqilya and Tulkarm in the afternoon (stopping to harass PA security officers manning a checkpoint in Qalqilya); and in al-Nabi Salih and 1 village nr. Jenin late at night. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Kafr Qaddum, al-Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin. IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (al-Nabi Salih only), rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 1 Palestinian cameraman is moderately wounded by a rubber-coated steel bullet in al-Nabi Salih, and 3 Palestinians are hit by tear gas canisters in Kafr Qaddum. (PCHR 6/21; OCHA 6/22)

Nr. Tripoli, Lebanon, Palestinian refugees surround and throw stones at Lebanese soldiers who attempt to block a Palestinian from bringing a motorcycle into Nahr al-Barid r.c. The soldiers open fire on the crowd, killing 1 Palestinian and wounding another. (WP 6/16)

A Grad rocket fired fr. the Egyptian Sinai lands in nr. Elat in s. Israel, causing no damage or injuries, but raising fears ahead of the Passover weekend, when 1,000s of tourists usually visit the resort town. No group claims responsibility. (HA, JP, YA 4/5; WP 4/6; YA 4/7)

The IDF makes a day-long incursion into n. Gaza e. of Jabaliya to level land and clear lines of sight; during the operation, troops fire 4 artillery shells and direct gunfire at surrounding agricultural areas to keep Palestinians away. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire into the Erez industrial zone late at night, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning and afternoon; conducts late-night arrest raids, houses searches in Nabi Salih; conducts late-night patrols in Jenin, 1 nearby village, and 1 village nr. Tulkarm. (PCHR 4/12; OCHA 4/13)

Palestinian sources report that in the previous week, the PASF arrested university prof. and single mother Ismat Abdul-Khaleq and placed her in solitary confinement over a Facebook posting in which she criticized Abbas’s government and called for the PA to be dismantled. She is the 5th prominent Palestinian arrested in the past year for criticizing the PA on Facebook. The others are: Radio Bethlehem 2000 director George Canawait, arrested in 9/2011 for criticizing the PA Health Min.; al-Quds TV employee Mahmdouh Hamara, arrested in fall 2011 for posting an unflattering picture of Abbas; and journalists Rami Samara and Youssef al-Shayeb, arrested in 2/2012 and 3/2013 respectively, for “defaming public officials” by writing news items on PA corruption. Most of the arrests have been carried out under an 1960 Jordanian law, not the PA press and communications law of 1995. Most of those arrested have been released within 2 weeks. (WP 4/6; NYT 5/7)

Early in the morning, Hamas authorities in Gaza storm a house in Gaza City where they believe Italian peace activist Vittorio Arrigoni is being held by Tawhid and Jihad, only to find that he had already been hung; 5 suspects are arrested in the raid. During the day, Palestinians fire 2 Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Hamas sends a message to Israel stating that it is doing everything possible to prevent rocket fire. The IDF makes 2 latenight air strikes on empty Hamas training sites in Gaza City and Shati’ r.c., causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah; makes a latenight raid into Bayt Umar, harassing and beating the family of an organizer of the weekly demonstrations against the separation wall for 2 hrs. before leaving; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and nr. Qalqilya. 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, and Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 2 Palestinians (including a child). (IsRN, NYT 4/15; JP, NYT, WP 4/16; PCHR 4/21; OCHA 4/29)

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)

IQB mbrs. fire 1 manufactured Grad rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, striking nr. Ashqelon, causing damage but no injuries, marking a serious escalation; the last time Ashqelon was hit by Palestinian rocket fire was in 2/09. Several hrs. later, unidentified Palestinians fire 2 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In response, the IDF carries out 3 air strikes targeting a training camp for the Hamas-affiliated police in Gaza City (wounding 5 policemen and 16 bystanders, damaging 30 surrounding buildings) and smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border (causing no reported injuries). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Bayt Liqya village nr. Ramallah at midday without incident; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall and land confiscations in Bil‘in (a 45- mbr. Spanish delegation and a 30-mbr. German delegation take part), Ni‘lin, and Dayr Nizam/al-Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, leaving scores suffering tear gas inhalation and arresting 1 Palestinian and 1 international activist. Jewish settlers fr. Brakha nr. Nablus set fire to 100 olive trees and large tracks of agricultural land; IDF soldiers initially fire tear gas and stun grenades at Palestinian civil defense workers who attempt to put out the fire, but finally let the firefighters pass more than half an hour later, after the PA liaison dept. intervenes. (HA, JP, YA 7/30; HA, NYT, WP 7/31; IFM, MEZ 8/1; PCHR 8/5; OCHA 8/13)