The Palestine Chronology

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)

At his weekly cabinet session, Netanyahu confirms “intensive contacts” are underway with the U.S. on an incentives package to restart peace talks “in such a way that it cannot be halted in a few weeks or months.” On or around this date, Netanyahu sends his chief negotiator Molcho back to Washington with new proposals for an incentives package; no details are released (IGPO 10/24; WP 10/25; NYT 10/27)

Israeli municipal authorities in Jerusalem approve a modified development plan for the Western Wall area that will involve underground tunnels, car parks, bus and police stations, Talmud and tourism centers, and opening of a new gate in the ancient wall around Jerusalem to provide access for Jewish settlers fr. the Silwan area. Palestinian residents of Silwan protesting the new moves clash with IDF troops who enter the neighborhood to disperse them, firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades, seriously wounding an 11-yr.-old Palestinian boy. Islamic Jihad fires 3–4 mortars fr. Gaza toward Israel, with only 1 landing inside Israel; no damage or injuries are reported on either side of the border. Gaza’s power plant receives a fuel shipment from Israel allowing the plant’s 2d turbine (shut down on 10/22) to resume operation; rolling blackouts drop back down to 4–6 hrs./day. The IDF makes a day-long incursion into s. Gaza to level lands along the border fence e. of al-Qarara to clear lines of sight. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin in the afternoon and nr. Qalqilya late at night. Jewish settlers fr. Keddumim heavily damage a Palestinian vehicle that breaks down on the road nr. the settlement. (JP 10/25; MNA 10/25; PCHR 10/28; OCHA 10/29)

In the West Bank, Palestinians burn an IDF barrier blocking a road into Jayyus village nr. Qalqilya to protest the closure of the road; IDF troops enter late in the evening to reestablish the barrier. The IDF also beats and fires rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists conducting a nonviolent march from Bayt Umar village to Karme Tzur settlement outside Hebron to protest land confiscations and settlement expansion, injuring and arresting 1 American activist; breaks up a nonviolent protest by Palestinians in Hebron against the closure (since 1994) of Shuhada street; patrols without incident in Ya‘bad village nr. Jenin late in the evening; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Eli nr. Nablus, cut down 14 Palestinian olive trees nearby. (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)

The IDF makes another (see 10/17) brief incursion into s. Gaza nr. Abasan to level land to clear lines of sight. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts synchronized daytime patrols in 3 villages nr. Tulkarm, making no arrests; conducts synchronized late-night patrols in 2 villages southeast of Jenin, making no arrests; conducts similar late-night patrols in Bal‘a village nr. Tulkarm; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. Of note: Islamic Jihad in Gaza issues a statement that “the leadership has taken a crucial decision to disown all members who go out on impromptu missions or under the banner of other organizations, such as those who refer to themselves as Salafists.” The statement notably does not explicitly bar mbrs. participation in the PRCs, an umbrella group comprising mbrs. of all Palestinian factions, suggesting that Islamic Jihad, like Hamas, is increasingly worried about radical Islamist groups in Gaza. (AFP 10/18; PCHR 10/21; OCHA 10/22)

IDF troops make a brief incursion into s. Gaza nr. Abasan to level areas to clear lines of sight, firing at the surrounding area but causing no reported damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts synchronized daytime patrols in 3 villages nr. Jenin, making no arrests; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in alFara‘a r.c. nr. Tubas, Hebron, and Tulkarm (twice). Jewish settlers fr. Etzion settlement nr. Hebron pump wastewater onto nearby Palestinian lands (polluting 50 d. of arable land) and confiscate a bulldozer from a Palestinian working on land nearby (also taking his cell phone and ID card). (PCHR 10/21; OCHA 10/22)

Israel announces plans to build 238 new settlement housing units in Pisgat Ze’ev and Ramot settlements in East Jerusalem. The PA and U.S. denounce the move as contrary to peace. Also in East Jerusalem, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and water with a colored dye at Palestinians holding a sit-in in the al-Bustan area of Silwan after Friday prayers to protest Israel’s plans (announced in 3/2010) to demolish homes and businesses in the area to create the City of David, an archeological park to accommodate settlers; local Jewish settlers join in, stoning Palestinians and vandalizing Palestinian homes; 15 Palestinians are injured. Meanwhile, the IDF conducts synchronized daytime patrols in 2 villages and 1 open area nr. Jenin, 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 rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 10s suffer tear gas inhalation; 2 Israeli and 3 Palestinian activists are arrested (the Israelis are quickly released). Jewish settlers fr. Elon Moreh nr. Nablus fire on and chase off Palestinian farmers harvesting olives nr. the settlement, causing no reported injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Zohar settlement e. of Qalqilya set fire to Palestinian olive groves and prevent Palestinian fire engines fr. reaching the area, allowing 100 d. to burn. (NYT, WP 10/16; PCHR 10/21; OCHA 10/22)

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)

IDF troops on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction material inside the demolished Erez industrial zone straddling the border, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Bayt Liqya late at night, without incident; conducts synchronized late-night arrest raids, house searches in 3 villages nr. Jenin. (PCHR 10/14; PCHR 10/21; OCHA 10/22)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols without incident in villages nr. Jenin and Tulkarm during the day, Nablus and Qalqilya late at night; prevents Palestinians fr. reaching their land nr. Salfit to cultivate olives; conducts arrest raids, house searches in villages nr. Jenin during the day, nr. Jenin and Nablus late at night. Jewish settlers fr. Karme Tzur, escorted by IDF troops, level at least 10 d. of adjacent Palestinian land to expand the settlement. (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)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols without incident in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm and 1 nr. Jenin in the morning; enters Azun village nr. Qalqilya in the evening, closing the main road No. 55 toward the village, sealing all the entrances to the village, and searching nearby fields for 2 hrs. looking for Palestinian youths who threw stones at passing troops (no arrests are made); conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c. and nr. Ramallah. Jewish settlers set fire to a mosque in Bayt Fajjar nr. Bethlehem and write “revenge” and “price tag” in Hebrew near the doorway. Netanyahu denounces the incident and orders security forces to “act firmly to quickly uncover the criminals and bring them to justice.” DM Barak calls the assailants “terrorist(s) in every sense of the word.” (JAZ, MNA, YA 10/4; NYT, WP 10/5; PCHR 10/7; OCHA 10/8)

In the first full day after the expiration of the settlement freeze, the Israeli government approves construction of a new settler-only bypass road linking Kiryat Arba to the Tomb of the Patriarchs/al-Ibrahimi Mosque in c. Hebron, which could require the removal of 10s of Palestinian homes and confiscation of Palestinian agricultural land. Jewish settlers begin construction of 56 new houses in Karme Tzur. Armed Jewish settlers accompanied by IDF soldiers begin leveling 8 d. of Palestinian land in Wadi al-Hussein neighborhood in Hebron seized by settlers in 2008. State Dept. spokesman P.J. Crowley says the U.S. is “disappointed” Israel allowed the freeze to expire, saying Mitchell phoned Abbas to thank him for not suspending talks immediately and that Clinton had held a “business-like” phone conversation with Netanyahu about the freeze. (NYT, WP 9/28; PCHR, WJW 9/30; OCHA 10/1)

Secy. of State Clinton meets with Syrian FM Walid Moualem in New York to broach the possibility of reviving the Israeli-Syrian peace track, with the U.S. and Syria agreeing to develop some ideas on how to proceed. (NYT, WP 9/28)

In Gaza, IDF troops make a day-long incursion into s. Gaza to level lands in the no-go zone e. of al-Qarara to clear lines of sight. In the West Bank, the IDF seals an entrance to Jayyus village nr. Qalqilya; seals 2 entrances to Azun village, checking Palestinian IDs, saying stones were thrown from the village at passing IDF patrols (no arrests are made); conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm; conducts late-night patrols in Jenin and 2 nearby villages, making no arrests. (PCHR 9/30)

U.S. officials spend the day trying to broker a compromise with Israel that will guarantee that direct talks will continue. Despite U.S. appeals, Netanyahu allows the freeze to expire at midnight local time (6:00 p.m. EDT). Abbas agrees not to follow through on threats to halt direct talks immediately to give U.S. diplomacy more time to work, but says he plans to consult with Fatah and PLO leaders, as well as the Arab League regarding how to move forward. (At his request, an Arab League session is set for 10/4, essentially leaving a week to resolve the freeze issue; the date is later changed to 10/6.) Even before the freeze ends, Israel’s Dep. PM Silvan Shalom lays the cornerstone for construction of a new yeshiva at a ceremony in Beit Romano settlement in Hebron attended by settlement leaders and right-wing Knesset members. Likud party mbrs. and 1,000s of settlers bussed in from around the West Bank attend a rally in neighboring Revava settlement to count down the end of the moratorium. In nearby Kiryat Netafim settlement, Jewish settlers hold a groundbreaking ceremony for construction of a new day-care center. Dozens of armed Jewish settlers from Ma’on settlement nr. Hebron guarded by IDF soldiers escort bulldozers to a nearby site where they begin laying the foundations for new homes at nearby Havat Maon outpost. After midnight, construction begins at several settlements across the West Bank. (NYT, WP, WT 9/27; NYT, WP 9/28; PCHR 9/30)

Meanwhile, timed with the lifting of the settlement freeze, 9 Jewish activists depart Cyprus on a catamaran, hoping to break the blockade of Gaza to deliver a token shipment of medicine and water purification equipment. In the West Bank, unidentified Palestinian gunmen fire on 2 Jewish settler vehicles driving nr. Hebron, moderately wounding 1 Jewish settler; no group takes responsibility. The IDF sends troops into Azun village nr. Qalqilya to patrol streets, set up checkpoints, and check Palestinian IDs, arresting 1 Palestinian; seals an entrance to Marda village nr. Salfit; conducts late-night patrols in Jenin town and r.c., making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin and Nablus. In Gaza, IDF troops on the s. Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis fire warning shots at Palestinians conducting a nonviolent protest march to the border fence to protest Israel’s imposition of a buffer zone, seriously wounding 1. (NYT 9/27; WT 9/28; PCHR 9/30; OCHA 10/1)

On the evening of the settlement freeze expiration on 9/26, Clinton meets with Abbas in Washington to brief him for the first time on the Israeli-U.S. negotiations over a U.S. incentives package (see 9/20) and urges him not to walk away from direct talks immediately if Netanyahu allows the freeze to expire before a deal can be reached. (NYT 9/26) (see Quarterly Update for details) Clashes in and around Issawiyya between Israeli security forces and stonethrowing Palestinian youths continue for a 3d day. Off Gaza’s n. coast, Israeli naval vessels fire on a Palestinian fishing boat, killing 1 Palestinian fisherman. Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. n. Gaza toward Israel but it lands inside the Strip, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in ‘Anin village nr. Jenin in the afternoon without incident. 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 rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 10s suffer tear gas inhalation and 4 Palestinians are moderately injured (including 1 hit in the leg by live ammunition). (YA 9/21; JP 9/24; WP 9/25; PCHR 9/30; OCHA 10/1)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza toward Israel, but it lands inside the Strip, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem, in al‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron (detaining 1 Palestinian teenager on charges of throwing stones, releasing him later in the day after his family pays a $400 fine), and nr. Jenin. OCHA reports that 13 Palestinians have been injured in tunnel collapses along the Gaza border since 9/15, not including those injured in Israeli air strikes on 9/15. (YA 9/21; PCHR 9/23; OCHA 9/24)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in Tulkarm town and r.c. and in 3 villages nr. Qalqilya, 2 nr. Ramallah, 2 nr. Salfit, facing stone-throwing youths in 1 instance (firing rubber-coated steel bullets at them, causing no injuries) and making no arrests; conducts synchronized late-night arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c. and 3 neighboring villages; conducts additional late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Harsina settlement nr. Hebron uproot 70 grapevines from nearby Palestinian land. In Gaza, 25 unidentified gunmen (suspected Salafists) set fire to a popular water park, completely destroying it, and beat the 2 night watchmen. (PCHR 9/23; OCHA 9/24; JPI 10/1)

Abbas, Netanyahu, Clinton, and Mitchell continue direct talks at Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem, meeting for 2 hrs. They allow a joint photo opportunity but do not address the press. (WP 9/15; NYT, WP, WT 9/16; PCHR 9/23; OCHA 9/24)

Just as the Jerusalem talks begin, Gaza’s PRCs fire 1 rocket and 9 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel (the highest 1-day total since 3/09), causing no damage or injuries. Israeli police claim 2 of the mortars contained white phosphorous and that the rocket, which landed in Ashkelon, appeared to be a manufactured Grad type, rather than a homemade Qassam; the IDF, however, calls the rocket a Qassam. (Ashkelon is in range of both Qassams and Grads.) The Israeli daily Yedi’ot Aharonot (9/16) cites an unidentified mbr. of an unnamed Gaza militant group as confirming that 2 mortars contained white phosphorous taken from unexploded IDF ordnance (UXO) from Operation Cast Lead, saying the Gaza factions are experimenting with modifying Israeli UXO for use against Israel. The IDF retaliates with air strikes on a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border (killing 1 Palestinian civilian, wounding 3), a factory n. of Khan Yunis (destroying it and damaging several surrounding homes, greenhouses, and businesses, but causing no reported injuries), and a vacant home southwest of Khan Yunis (destroying it). IDF troops also make a brief morning incursion 400 m. into s. Gaza e. of Khan Yunis to level land to clear lines of sight. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts separate synchronized late-night patrols in 2 villages e. of Qalqilya and 2 villages nr. Ramallah, making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, nr. Jenin. (HA, JP, YA 9/15; CNN, JP, PCHR, WT, YA 9/16)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. IDF troops on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fire on Palestinians inside the Strip conducting a nonviolent protest march to the border to denounce Israel’s imposition of a no-go zone. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Tulkarm and neighboring Nur Shams r.c.; conducts late-night patrols in 7 villages e. of Qalqilya, making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c.; conducts synchronized late-night incursions into 4 villages northwest of Salfit, searching a home and summoning 1 Palestinian for questioning in 1 case, patrolling without incident in 3 cases. Jewish settlers fr. Shvut Rachel nr. Ramallah seize and raze 15 d. of Palestinian agricultural land for expansion of the settlement. (JP, UPI, YA 9/13; JP, NYT 9/14; PCHR 9/16; OCHA 9/17)

Israel increases industrial fuel imports to Gaza, allowing Gaza’s electricity plant to run on 2 turbines instead of 1 for the first time since 2/2010, cutting rolling power outages across the Strip from 8–12 hrs./day to 4–6 hrs./day. Unidentified Palestinians fire a mortar fr. n. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Twice during the morning, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the fmr. Jewish settlement sites nr. the border, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Jenin, 1 village nr. Ramallah, 1 village nr. Salfit late at night without conducting searches or making arrests; conducts synchronized late-night arrest raids, house searches in 3 other villages nr. Ramallah. During the day in Ramallah, plainclothes PA security forces (PASF) and/ or general intelligence officers break up a meeting of 200 Palestinian opposition figures convened to draft a statement protesting Abbas’s 8/23 decision to resume direct negotiations with Israel; uniformed PASF officers waiting outside the venue question the participants as they leave. (AP, YA 8/25; PCHR 8/26; OCHA 8/27; HA 8/30; WT 9/1; PCHR 9/2; OCHA 9/3)

U.S. special envoy Mitchell ends a 2-day visit to the region aimed at securing Israeli and Palestinian agreement to resume direct peace talks by 9/1 based on a letter of assurances fr. the Quartet. After separate talks with Abbas in Ramallah and Netanyahu in Jerusalem he is unusually upbeat and says he is optimistic that direct talks will resume soon, but gives no details. He leaves Dep. Asst. Secy. of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Hale in the region to continue discussions and finalize details of a Quartet statement. (State Dept. daily press briefing, WT 8/11; see also WP 8/10)

The IDF announces that for the month of Ramadan (8/10–9/10) it is extending operating hours at some checkpoints along the separation wall in the Bethlehem, Jenin, and Ramallah to facilitate travel to Jerusalem; removing earthen mounds along 3 routes in Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron to improve traffic flow; and issuing an additional 200 visitor permits for nationals of select Arab countries to enter the West Bank. Israel has also, however, limited Palestinian access to Jerusalem during Ramadan to men over 50 and women over 45 years of age. Meanwhile, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, nr. Ramallah. As a goodwill gesture to mark the start of Ramadan, Hamas authorities in Gaza release 100 Fatah-affiliated prisoners, while the PA in the West Bank releases 8 Hamas-affiliated prisoners (MNA 8/11; PCHR 8/12, 8/19; OCHA 8/20)

In the West Bank, the IDF raids and searches several homes in Jayyus in the morning, summoning 2 Palestinians for interrogation; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Jenin r.c. (PCHR 8/12; OCHA 8/13)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Nablus. An unnamed Egyptian official offering no evidence says that Egypt’s preliminary investigation into the 8/2 rocket fire fr. the Egyptian Sinai has determined that “Palestinian factions” fr. Gaza were responsible. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. Hamas explicitly denies involvement in the attack, urging Egypt to investigate thoroughly. (PCHR, WT 8/5; PCHR 8/12; OCHA 8/13)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in Tulkarm and 2 villages nr. Jenin, making no arrests; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. In Jerusalem, Israeli police and municipal authorities crack down on Palestinian street vendors operating without licenses, confiscating their goods and fining them $270. Inside Israel, 1,300 Israeli police evict 300 bedouin fr. the unofficial village of al-Arakib before dawn, then level the village, demolishing 45 structures including homes and chicken coops to make way for the Jewish National Fund to plant a forest. (BBC, JAZ, YA 7/27; HA 7/28; PCHR 7/29; OCHA 7/30; Inter Press Service 8/10; WJW 8/12; NYT 8/26)

Mitchell returns to the region for 3 days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian peace teams, Egyptian pres. Husni Mubarak, and the crown prince of Abu Dhabi Shaykh Muhammad bin Zayid al-Nahayan to press Israel and the Palestinians to resume direct talks. After their meeting, Abbas says he will begin direct talks with Israel if it accepts the 1967 borders as the baseline for negotiations and accepts deployment of international forces to guard them. (UPI 7/17; WP 7/18; AFP 7/19)

IDF troops on the northeastern Gaza border fire 3 artillery shells into an open area e. of Jabaliya, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF escorts Jewish settlers into Kafr Haris village nr. Salfit late at night to conduct religious ceremonies; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin; conducts latenight patrols in Tulkarm without incident. Palestinians and international activists take part in weekly nonviolent demonstrations against land confiscation and settlement expansion nr. Karme Tzur settlement nr. Hebron and outside Beit Romano settlement in Hebron; the IDF fires rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, leaving 5 Palestinian injured (including 3 journalists), 10s suffering tear gas inhalation, 1 Palestinian cameraman under arrest, 1 international activist detained for questioning (later released). At least 10 Jewish settlers attack a Palestinian nr. the al-Ibrahimi Mosque/ Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, moderately injuring him; IDF troops observe but only intervene to defend the settlers when Palestinians try to protect the injured man. In Gaza, Hamas authorities attempting to boost their Muslim credentials, begin enforcing a ban (announced 1 yr. ago) on women smoking water pipes in public. (NYT 7/18; WP, WT 7/19; OCHA, PCHR 7/22)

Israel reports that a Libyan ship that had threatened to run the Gaza blockade (see 7/11) has diverted toward the Egyptian port of al-Arish, defusing a potential crisis; the Egyptian Red Crescent Society will take the goods to Gaza through the Rafah terminal. (Israel had been urging Egypt and Italy to intervene with Libya to encourage it to divert the boat.) Meanwhile, IDF troops on the c. Gaza border shell residential areas of Gaza Valley village after spotting “suspicious figures” in the area, hitting 1 home, killing 1 Palestinian woman and wounding 3 civilians in and around the house. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them back to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Salfit. Israeli authorities demolish 6 Palestinian homes in and around East Jerusalem (3 in Issawiyya, 1 in Bayt Hanina, 2 in Jabal Mukabir). (NYT, WP, WT 7/14; PCHR 7/15; OCHA 7/16)

Israel says it will prevent a Libyan ship carrying 2,000 tons of food and medical supplies, organized by the Qaddafi Foundation (run by Libyan leader Mu‘ammar Qaddafi’s son), fr. running the Gaza blockade. The ship is estimated to be 2 days away fr. the coast. Meanwhile, IDF troops make a brief incursion into s. Gaza to level land along the border e. of Khan Yunis to clear lines of sight. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Jericho, Qalqilya, Ramallah. (WT 712; PCHR 7/15; OCHA 7/16)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in al-Bireh without incident; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall and land confiscations in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Dayr Nizam/al-Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, leaving 10s suffering tear gas inhalation, injuring at least 2 Palestinians. (PCHR 7/1; OCHA 7/2)

Israel’s Jerusalem Planning Commission grants preliminary approval for the rezoning and demolition of 22 Palestinian homes in Silwan neighborhood to create an archaeological park, a 1,000-unit Jewish residential area, and tourist zone; the rezoning measure would also retroactively approve Jewish settlers’ Beit Yonatan construction, reaffirmed as illegal by Israel’s Jerusalem District Court on 5/25 (see above). The State Dept. denounces the move as undermining proximity talks. Meanwhile, the IDF begins large-scale bulldozing of land between Pisgat Ze’ev and Neve Ya’acov settlements just n. of Jerusalem for construction of 600 new settlement housing units that will link the 2 settlements, which it intends to keep under final status. The IDF also makes a major late-night incursion into Dayr Samit village nr. Hebron, surrounding and detonating stun grenades around a Palestinian home, blowing off the door, and firing at the windows and roof before raiding the home, beating the residents, and arresting 2 men. Troops then raid and search several surrounding homes, in total arresting 25 mbrs. of the extended al-Adam/al-Hroub clan. The IDF also conducts late-night raids and searches nr. Jenin, summoning 7 Palestinians for interrogation. (NYT, WT 6/22; NYT 6/23; PCHR 6/24; OCHA 6/25)