The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces during a raid in Tulkarm on 11/7. Israeli settlers opened fire at Palestinian vehicles near Bethlehem; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also began constructing a settlement road on Palestinian-owned land in Birin. Israeli forces shot and killed 4 Palestinians, including 2 children, and injured 17 others during raids in al-Fara’a refugee camp, Ya’bad, and Balata refugee camp. Israeli forces also opened fire at a Palestinian vehicle and detained the driver in Husan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces also demolished a home in Umm Rukba near al-Khader and 2 homes and 2 agricultural structures in Umm Qissa in the Masafer Yatta area. 42 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and Tubas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolished parts of a home in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Maghazi, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing hundreds of people, including more than 100 in Jabalia. Prominent Palestinian poet and academic Refaat Alareer was also killed along with several family members in Gaza City. 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. Rockets were fired at Israel, injuring 1 in Nir Yitzhak. In Lebanon, rockets were fired at Israeli military sites and soldiers in Tal Shaar and Karm al-Tuffah and Israel attacked several places. In Yemen, the Houthi-led government said it had fired ballistic missiles at Israeli military posts near Eilat which were shot down by Israel’s Arrow missile defense system. The U.S. said it had shot down a drone launched by Yemen. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/6; AJ, AJ 12/7; AJ 12/8)

The casualty numbers for Gaza were not updated, leaving the number at more than 16,248 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 6,387 children and 4,257 women, and around 43,616 injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 257 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 67 children. More than 3,325 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 90 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.9 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 11/18, at least 45,000 housing units had been destroyed and 233,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. The Red Crescent said its ambulance center in the northern province of Gaza has stopped working due to a lack of fuel. Patients and staff were evacuated from the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabalia as the hospital had stopped working. 20 patients that could not be evacuated stayed at the hospital. 80 trucks carrying aid, including 15 gallons of fuel, entered Gaza. Only Rafah received aid for the fourth day in a row. 23 wounded Palestinians and 680 foreign nationals were evacuated to Egypt. (AJ, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/6)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, forcing the UN Security Council to convene on 12/8 on the basis of threats to “international peace and security,” saying a ceasefire is needed in Gaza to avoid “irreversible implications for Palestinians as a whole and for peace and security in the region.” Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said Guterres had reached “a new moral low.” Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen called Guterres a “danger to world peace.” After the invocation of Article 99, the UAE circulated a draft resolution calling for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” and for all parties to comply with international law. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/6; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 12/7; AP, WAFA 12/8)

The Israeli security cabinet approved an increase in the amount of fuel entering Gaza from around 13,000 gallons to 26,000 gallons a day. Axios reported that the decision was made after pressure from the Biden administration, which had called on Israel to allow 39,000 gallons to enter Gaza daily. The decision was opposed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. (AJ 12/6; AX 12/7)

Birzeit University published pictures of the central archive of the Gaza municipality, saying Israel had deliberately destroyed thousands of valuable documents to erase the history of Gaza. (AJ 12/6)

The PA Wall and Settlements Commission said it had recorded 610 Israeli settler attacks, which killed 10 Palestinians, since 10/7. (AJ 12/6)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signed an administration detention order for an Israeli settler who was arrested on 10/3 for attacking Palestinians. (HA 12/7)

PA UN envoy Riyad Mansour addressed the assembly of parties to the Rome Statute, saying “Israel has effectively destroyed every single requirement for live in the Gaza Strip” and complaining that the ICC has not delivered justice for Palestine. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 12/6)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with U.S. vice president Kamala Harris’ National Security Advisor Phil Gordon in Ramallah, discussing the future of the political situation in Gaza after Israel’s war. (HA, WAFA 12/6; HA 12/7)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the PA will not govern Gaza as long as he is prime minister. (AJ 12/6)

Israel revoked the residency visa for UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Lynn Hastings, saying she did not condemn Hamas’ Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. The UN said on 12/1 that Hastings would be replaced in anticipation of the visa revocation. The PA condemned the revocation of Hastings’ visa. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 12/6)

Israel’s military discussed closing the “Desert Frontier” unit made up of Israeli settlers in the West Bank after a series of incidents where soldiers from the unit attacked and abused Palestinians and Israeli activists. (HA 12/6)

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) said Israel has established 100 “Community Security Squads” equipped with M16 rifles, adding the members of the militias have only received 7 hours of training and lacked proper oversight. ACRI also said there have been reports of Palestinian citizens of Israel being rounded up by the militias to show their identity cards. (AJ, HA 12/6; HA 12/7)

UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk said he had asked Israel for weeks to have his team investigate Israeli allegations of sexual violence committed by Hamas militants in Israel on 10/7 but said Israel had not responded. (AJ, WAFA 12/6)

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said “I consider even the debating of this plan as disrespectful to my Palestinian siblings. For us, this is not a plan that can be debated, considered, or discussed,” referring to Israeli suggestions that a buffer zone should be made within Gaza. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also said the Israeli plan was in violation of U.S. policy, suggesting Israel could make a buffer zone in its own territory. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 12/6)

Russian president Vladimir Putin met with UAE president Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, discussing energy cooperation, the situation in Gaza, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Saudi state media reported that Putin and bin Salman shared “deep concern” for the situation in Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA 12/6; AJ, REU 12/7)

The U.S. Senate failed to pass a $111 billion bill to provide $50 billion to Ukraine and $14 billion to Israel in a 49-51 vote. All Republicans and Democratic senators Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) voted against the bill. Republicans sought to separate the aid for Israel from the aid for Ukraine as many Republican senators are opposed to significant spending on Ukraine, while Sanders opposed spending on Israel given the Palestinian death toll in Gaza. Schumer changed his vote from in favor to against to allow him to bring the bill up again at a later date. (HA, NYT 12/6; AJ, HA 12/7)

Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo said his government will work with the U.S. to sanction “individuals involved in actions that undermine peace, security, and stability” in the West Bank. (AJ 12/6; HA, HA, REU, WAFA 12/7)

Reuters reported that an “orientation note” circulated among EU foreign ministers ahead of a meeting showed the EU was considering tougher sanctions on Hamas and imposing sanctions against violent Israeli settlers. EU commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic condemned an Israeli settler attack in Khirbet Zanuta which destroyed an EU-funded school. Nils Schmid, foreign policy spokesperson of Germany’s ruling Social Democratic Party, said imposing sanctions on settlers was a good idea. (HA, REU, REU, REU 12/6)

Haaretz reported that Foreign Minister Cohen had bypassed objections from foreign ministry staff to issue diplomatic passports for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s son Yair, Likud politician and settlement leader Israel Gantz, and senior Likud member Benny Biton. (HA 12/7)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers opened fire at Hizma, causing damage. Israeli settlers also attacked a Palestinian TV crew near Hebron covering the killing of 1 Palestinian woman (see below). Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian near Hebron, claiming that she had opened fire at soldiers and settlers with an M16 rifle; no Israelis were injured. Israeli forces seriously wounded 1 Palestinian near Jaba‘. Israeli forces also sealed off the entrances to Silwad and Kafr al-Dik. Elsewhere, Israeli forces fired tear gas and stun grenades at a car repair shop near al-Za‘ayyem, causing a fire damaging several vehicles. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Huwwara, injuring 2 with rubber-coated bullets and 15 with tear gas. Separately, Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Qalqilya, al-Arqa, and al-Bireh, leading to tear-gas related injuries. 29 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bani Na‘im, al-Dhariyya, al-Ubaydiyya, Tuqu‘, al-Ram, Birzeit, Bil‘in, Beita, Madama, Tell, Qabatiya, Silat al-Harithiyya, al-Tamun, Tubas, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers assaulted church officials at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, causing injuries and 1 hospitalization. 8 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Shu‘fat and Shaykh Jarrah. In Gaza, 13 Palestinians were killed, including 2 children and 1 pregnant woman, and many were injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 219 to 232, including 65 children and 3 pregnant women. The casualties included: 4, including 1 pregnant woman and 1 child, and 2 were wounded in air strikes on 2 houses in Dayr al-Balah; 2, including 1 child, during air strikes in Jabaliya; 2 in air strikes on apartment buildings in Gaza City; 1, and 1 child wounded in artillery shelling in Bayt Hanun; 1 by live ammunition while on agricultural lands east of Juhur al-Dik; 1 Palestinian succumbed to wounds sustained on 5/13 during an air strike on Bayt Hanun; 2 bodies of unidentified Palestinians arrived at al-Shifa Hospital. 7 residential buildings and 1 youth center were demolished in Israeli attacks on Khan Yunis. In Israel, 1 Palestinian-Israeli minor who was shot and injured by Israeli police while sitting in a car with friends in Umm al-Fahm on 5/18 succumbed to his injuries. 1 Israeli man stabbed and injured 1 Palestinian worker from the West Bank in Holon. 58 Palestinian citizens of Israel were reported arrested after the general strike and mass protest on 5/18. 1 Israeli was lightly wounded by a rocket from Gaza in Sderot, 2 other rockets caused damage. 4 rockets were fired at the Haifa and ‘Akka areas from Lebanon; no damage or injuries were reported. Israel subsequently shelled areas of Lebanon; no damage or injuries were reported. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, MEE, PCHR, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/19; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, MEMO, PCHR, PCHR, WAFA 5/20; HA, MEE, MEMO 5/21; NYT 5/26)

Hamas said it estimated that $92 million’s worth of damage was sustained to residential buildings and non-governmental offices since 5/10. $22 million’s worth of damage was sustained to the power grid as people in Gaza only are receiving 3-4 hours of electricity a day. Hamas also said that Gaza’s water supply is hard hit with 95% of the water unfit for drinking. (HA 5/20)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas said in a speech that his efforts to hold elections are ongoing, and that he is “ready to form an internationally accepted unity government.” President Abbas also discussed the situation in Gaza and East Jerusalem with UN secretary-general António Guterres. (WAFA, WAFA 5/19; ALM 5/21)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh spoke with EU representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff in Ramallah, calling on the EU to pressure Israel to stop its aggression in East Jerusalem and Gaza. Prime Minister Shtayyeh also spoke with Facebook executives about Facebook’s censuring of Palestinian voices on its platforms. (WAFA, WAFA 5/19)

An Israeli court ruled that Israeli forces had violated international law when they shot and killed 1 Palestinian 14-year-old in 2004 near Rafah, but that the family was not entitled to compensation, citing a wartime action principle. The Israeli soldiers shot her after she ran away from them as they fired warning shots. After she ran from the soldiers, they fired at her back and the commander shot her again as she lie dead on the ground. The commander was acquitted of all charges at an Israeli military court the year after. (HA 5/20)

A spokesperson for the Israeli military said that it had been trying to assassinate the head of Hamas’s military division Mohammed Deif throughout the duration of the ongoing attack on Gaza. Hamas later told AP that Deif is still alive and in charge of its military operations. (HA 5/19; AP 5/20)

1 Israeli journalist from Channel 20 was fired after saying, during a live broadcast, that “[o]ne [rocket] has fallen on a soccer field in a large Arab community [Shefa-Amr, a Palestinian-Israeli community]. Regretfully for us, it did not result in mass deaths there.” The rocket that the Israeli journalist Kobi Finkler was referring to was fired from Lebanon. (AJ, HA 5/20)

Haaretz reported that applications for gun licenses in Israel had risen 7-fold in the past weeks as violence had been rising in Israel. (HA 5/19)

The UNRWA appealed to have the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings opened for humanitarian access. (AJ 5/19)

U.S. president Joe Biden spoke to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to de-escalate the violence, according to a White House readout. It was the 4th time the 2 spoke in a week. Prime Minister Netanyahu said later in a statement that he was “determined to carry on with the attacks until calm and security are restored to Israeli citizens.” It was also reported that Egypt had secured a ceasefire agreement in principle between Hamas and Israel. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said calm could only be restored if Israel stopped its attack on Jerusalem and Gaza. Netanyahu also told some 70 foreign diplomats that he is considering sending group troops to Gaza to “conquer” it. (AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, AX, HA, HA, MEE, REU 5/19; AP, AP, AX 5/20) 

A letter circulated among House Democrats by Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) called for the U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken to work toward a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, and to provide humanitarian relief to Gaza. The letter also called for more than doubling the U.S. funding to the UNRWA, bringing the U.S. funding back to the level it was before the Trump administration ended all funding. Separately, more than 130 members of the House called on an immediate ceasefire. 3 Democrats in the House, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Mark Pocan (D-WI), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) also introduced a resolution aimed at blocking the $735 million’s worth of arms to Israel. In the Senate, senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, saying that every Palestinian and Israeli life matters; 8 other Democrats later co-sponsored the resolution. (AJ, HA, HA, HA, REU, Twitter 5/19; AJ 5/20)

Facebook said it has set up a center to monitor Arabic and Hebrew content deemed inflammatory or otherwise violating Facebook’s policies. Facebook has been criticized for silencing Palestinian voices on its social media platforms, including Instagram and WhatsApp. (WAFA 5/19; HA 5/20)

250 employees at Alphabet, the parent company of Google, wrote an open letter calling for Alphabet to review all business contracts, terminating those “with institutions that support violations of Palestinian rights,” including the Israeli military. The letter also called for not stifling free speech on Palestine. (AJ, HA, MEE, WAFA 5/19)

At the UN, the U.S. again refused to support a UN security council (UNSC) statement calling for an immediate ceasefire after intensified pressure from France. This was the 4th time the UNSC had met to discuss the escalation between Hamas and Israel since it began and the 4th time that the U.S. has blocked a statement. (AX 5/18; AJ, REU 5/19; HA 5/20)

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa said to France24 that the situation in Gaza, particularly the bombing of homes and confinement to the strip, reminded him of apartheid in South Africa. When asked if Israel was an apartheid state, President Ramaphosa said that the country is an apartheid type of state. (F24 5/19; MEMO, WAFA 5/20; AM 5/21)

Norway’s wealth fund divested from 2 companies, Shapir Engineering and Industry Ltd. and Mivne Real Estate KD Ltd., due to the companies’ involvement in Israeli settlement activity. (AJ 5/20; MEMO 5/21)

Ireland announced $1.83 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. (WAFA 5/20)

The Iranian Red Crescent said it would donate $100,000 to the Palestinian Red Crescent to help treat the wounded in Gaza. (WAFA 5/19)

UNRWA called for extra funding of $38 million to help the organization with its humanitarian efforts after the attacks on Gaza. (WAFA 5/19; AJ 5/20)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Qarawat Bani Hassan before confronted by Palestinian residents. Israeli settlers attacked 1 Palestinian minor near Kisan, causing injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to agricultural lands planted with olive trees in Jalud, causing extensive damage. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters commemorating Nakba Day throughout the West Bank, killing 1 Palestinian in Hebron and injuring 450, including 27 in Hebron, 29 in Qalqilya, 12 in Ramallah, 18 in Nablus, 9 in Tulkarm, 6 in Jenin, 2 in Bethlehem, and 1 in Tubas using live ammunition. 13 Palestinians were arrested, including 4 during late-night raids in Tulkarm and 9 during protests near Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Shaykh Jarrah, injuring 1 journalist and arresting 1. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in al-Tur, causing tear-gas related injuries and 1 arrest. 13 others were arrested during raids in Issawiyya, al-Tur, Silwan, and Sur Bahir. In Gaza, 17 Palestinians were killed, including 8 children, and dozens were injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 136 to 153, including 41 children and 2 pregnant women. The casualties included: 10 members of the same family in an Israeli air strike in al-Shati refugee camp, including 8 children; 1 infant was found in the rubble of the house and was the only survivor of the attack; 2 in an air strike on a market in Gaza City; 1 in an air strike while driving north of Gaza City; 1 in a drone strike on agricultural lands near al-Bureij; 1, and 1 injured in an air strike on al-Bureij; 1 in an air strike while riding a motorbike in al-Maghazi; 1 Palestinian succumbed to wounds sustained in an air strike on a car wash al-Zawaideh. Israel also demolished al-Jalaa tower, a 12-story building in Gaza City hosting the offices of AP, Al Jazeera, and other international media outlets along with residential apartments; Israel claimed that it also housed Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Palestine intelligence offices, saying that made it a legitimate target; residents and workers were given 1 hour to evacuate the building. AP said their reporting capabilities in Gaza were significantly reduced while Al Jazeera called it a war crime and an act to stop reporting. Air strikes also demolished the home of senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya and severely damaged the 14-story tower al-Qahira and the 12-story tower al-Andalus in Gaza City. Shelling from land and sea also caused significant damage and injuries in Khan Yunis and Bayt Hanun. Egypt sent 10 ambulances to Gaza to pick up injured Palestinians for treatment at Egyptian hospitals. In Israel, 1 Israeli was killed by a rocket fired from Gaza in Ramat Gan, raising the Israeli death toll to 10. 6 buildings were also damaged in Ramat Gan. Rockets were also fired at Beersheba, Ashkelon, and Ashdod from Gaza, causing damage in Beersheba and Ashdod. Hundreds of Palestinian-Israelis protested in Jaffa over the Israeli police’s inability to protect them as violence has been escalating in the neighborhood and 1 minor was seriously injured by a firebomb on 5/14. 67 Palestinian-Israelis were reported arrested, including 52 in ‘Akka and 15 in Lydda. In Lebanon, hundreds of protesters gathered along the Blue Line to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and Shaykh Jarrah. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEE, PCHR, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/15; AP, AP, AP, AP, HA, MEE, PCHR, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/16; AP 5/17; HA 5/18; PCHR 5/20; MEE 5/21; NYT 5/26; GDN 7/28)

There were major demonstrations in many cities worldwide in commemoration of Nakba Day and in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and those threatened by eviction in Shaykh Jarrah. (DM, DW, NAT 5/15 BBC, GDN, WAFA 5/16)

U.S. president Joe Biden spoke with both Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and PA president Mahmoud Abbas. It was the 1st time that President Biden and President Abbas have spoken since Biden took office in January. (HA, WAFA 5/15)

U.S. chair of the senate foreign relations committee Bob Menendez (D-NJ) said, after Israel demolished the building housing the offices of AP and Al Jazeera, that he was “deeply troubled by reports of Israeli military actions that resulted in the death of innocent civilians in Gaza as well as Israeli targeting of buildings housing international media outlets.” Menendez is known as 1 of the staunchest supports of Israel among the senate Democrats. Several House Democrats separately tweeted, “Apartheid states aren’t democracies,” in a reference to Israel. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT 5/15)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers emptied wastewater on Palestinian agricultural lands, damaging crops in Luban al-Sharqiyya. 23 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, Bethlehem, and Tubas; during a raid in Jenin, 1 Palestinian was shot in the foot before being arrested. In Gaza, Israeli authorities claimed that 2 rockets were launched at Israel from Gaza, 1 being intercepted by the Iron Dome. Israel then fired rockets at Nuseirat refugee camp and Khan Yunis, causing damage; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces also opened fire on agricultural lands east of Dayr al-Balah; no injuries were reported. (HA, WAFA, WAFA 10/22; AJ, TOI, WAFA 10/23; PCHR 10/29)

Sudanese government sources told Reuters that the prime minister of Sudan’s transitional government, Abdalla Hamdok, is ready to proceed with normalization of relations with Israel if the transitional parliament approves. The transitional parliament has not yet been formed. (HA 10/23)

Lebanese president Michel Aoun designated Saad Hariri as prime minister to form a new government. Hariri resigned 1 year ago as prime minister after prolonged protests in Lebanon against nepotism and corruption. (AJ, GDN, HA, REU 10/22)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces seized 1 bulldozer north of Tubas. 12 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Nablus, Jenin, Ramallah, and Jericho. In East Jerusalem, the Islamic Waqf announced that the Haram al-Sharif compound will be closed for prayers for 3 weeks due to a rise in COVID-19 cases. In Gaza, Israeli forces fired missiles at Khan Yunis, Dayr al-Balah, and Bayt Lahiya, causing damage; no injuries were reported. According to Israeli authorities, 13 rockets were launched at Israel, 8 of which were intercepted; neither damage nor injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen west of Bayt Lahiya; no injuries were reported. In Israel, 1 Palestinian construction worker from the West Bank was stabbed by 1 Israeli at his workplace near Ashdod. (AJ, BBC, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/16; PCHR 9/17)

In the Gaza Strip, armed Palestinians fire 4 rockets into s. Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF responds with 8 air strikes in the Gaza Strip, targeting military training sites belonging to Hamas’s Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades, and the Popular Resistance Comms. (PRC) in the c. Gaza Strip, Rafah, and Khan Yunis. Damage is sustained, and 2 civilians are wounded when they are hit by shrapnel in separate attacks. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishermen, causing no damage or injuries. Meanwhile, a 10-year-old boy dies, succumbing to injuries sustained in an Israeli air strike on 6/11. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Ramallah and 8 villages nearby, Nablus and 4 villages and ‘Askar r.c. nearby, Tulkarm and 3 villages and Nur Shams r.c. nearby, Tubas and 1 village and al-Fara‘a r.c. nearby, Jenin and 1 nearby village, Jericho and ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. nearby, 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Jerusalem, and al-Bireh at night; patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho, 1 village nr. Ramallah at night. Jewish settlers stone Palestinian vehicles nr. Nablus, injuring 3 and causing damage. Separately, Jewish settlers throw stones at Palestinians and their homes in Susia nr. Hebron. (HA, JP, MNA 6/14; PCHR 6/19)

Israeli PM Netanyahu announces that the Israeli govt. holds the PA responsible for the fate of the 3 missing Israeli teenagers, since “the terrorists originated from Palestinian territory.” Anonymous PA officials tell the media that Abbas has instructed his security services to help in the manhunt. Meanwhile, the IDF continues intensive sweeps of the s. West Bank, and wideranging arrest raids, which pick up 80 Palestinians, including 4 mbrs. of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The IDF also imposes a closure on the s. West Bank, from Bethlehem to the Hebron region. IDF sources tell the media that the working assumption is that the youth are alive. (HA, JP, MNA, YA 6/15)

In the West Bank, Palestinian gunmen open fire on an IDF border police vehicle nr. Hebron, killing 1 Israeli border police officer and wounding 3 in the first fatal shooting attack against Israelis in the West Bank in over 1 yr.; a claim of responsibility and threat of more attacks are issued by a group calling itself the Freedom Flotilla Martyrs. Also in the West Bank, the IDF conducts 3 separate synchronized late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem and neighboring Dahaysha r.c., al-Far‘a r.c. and Tammun village nr. Tubas, Jenin town and r.c. and 2 nearby villages; additional late-night arrest raids, house searches are carried out nr. Salfit, Tubas. In Gaza, unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Qassam rocket fr. the s. Gaza border area into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF fires 5 artillery shells at the launch site, causing no damage or injuries. Separately, the IDF makes a brief incursion into s. Gaza to level land to clear lines of sight. IDF troops on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fire on Palestinian scavenging for construction materials in the industrial zone, wounding 1 Palestinian. IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians staging a nonviolent march to the border fence e. of Khan Yunis to protest Israel’s no-go zone; no injuries are reported. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. (NYT, YA 6/15; PCHR, WJW 6/17; OCHA 6/18)

The IDF patrols in Kafr Haris, Tubas (firing on residential areas); conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Askar r.c. nr. Nablus, al-Til nr. Tulkarm and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron. Islamic Jihad fires 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In Ramallah, 10s of PA employees aligned with Fatah temporarily take over the PC building, demanding salaries. After Hamas mbrs. shoot, wound a PSF officer in Khan Yunis, Fatah mbrs. assassinate a senior Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades mbr. (MM 6/14; MM, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 6/15; PCHR 6/22)

The IDF tightens restrictions on Palestinian movement around Tulkarm; bars Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa candidates in the 1/25 elections fr. crossing a checkpoint outside of Tubas; tears down campaign posters for Fatah candidate and AMB mbr. Muhammad Khadir in Kafr Sur nr. Tulkarm, as well as other campaign posters on the road leading fr. Hebron to Dura; sends troops into Jenin town and r.c., fires on stone-throwing youths who confront them, seriously wounding a 12-yr.-old boy; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Azza r.c. nr. Bethlehem, nr. Nablus and Ramallah, in and around Hebron (occupying several homes as observation posts). Palestinians fire 4 rockets fr. n. Gaza towards Israel, 3 of which land inside Palestinian territory, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF responds with artillery fire, causing no injuries. PA police exchange gunfire with wanted Palestinians during an arrest raid in Dayr al-Balah, leaving 10 Palestinians wounded (including 8 policemen); 11 policemen are wounded in clashes with suspected drug smugglers during an arrest raid in Khan Yunis; 1 Palestinian is killed in a clash btwn. PA police and gunmen in Gaza City. The AMB–Jenin faction warns foreign election observers to leave the city immediately. (IMEMC 1/7; NYT 1/8; YA 1/9; PCHR 1/19; PLO Negotiation Affairs Dept. press release 1/23)

IDF tanks and infantry begin massing on Gaza’s northern border in apparent preparation for a major incursion. The IDF continues operations in and around Tulkarm; conducts predawn missile strikes on 3 auto repair garages, machine shops in Gaza City, Khan Yunis thought to be weapons factories, injuring 3 Palestinians; conducts arrest raids targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, and Tulkarm, arresting 26 Hamas, 4 Islamic Jihad mbrs.; also raids, searches homes in Mughraqa; fires on a group of Palestinians trying to cross the closed Abu Huli crossing into Gaza, wounding 4; conducts patrols nr. Ramallah, Tulkarm and in Dahaysha r.c., Nablus (firing on residential areas), Qalqilya, Tubas nr. Jenin. Hamas fires 10 mortars, 8 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza at Sederot and Nisanit settlement (lightly injuring 7 settlers). In Gaza City, some 10,000 Hamas supporters attend the funeral of 4 Hamas mbrs. assassinated on 7/15. In Bayt Lahiya, Hamas gunmen shoot, wound a PA security officer. In Khan Yunis, Palestinian gunmen associated with a Fatah splinter group set fire to the newly opened offices of Fatah head Faruq Qaddumi, then fire on PA security forces posts in the area. In Ramallah, AMB mbrs. fire in the air, order stores to close to protest Palestinian deaths in recent days; PA security forces deploy in response, ordering stores to reopen. (HA, IMEMC, JAZ, REU, YA 7/16; VOI, VOP 7/16 in WNC 7/17; HA, JAZ, JP, NYT, WP, XIN 7/17; VOP 7/17 in WNC 7/18; OCHA, PR 7/20; PCHR 7/21)

Israel releases the leader of the Islamic movement in Israel Shaykh Ra’id Salah, arrested in 5/03, after serving a sentence for directing funds to West Bank and Gaza charities that allegedly support “terrorism”; his sentence was reduced by more than a yr. for good behavior. (REU 7/17; VOI 7/17 in WNC 7/18; JP 7/18 in WNC 7/19; PR 7/20)

The IDF sends tanks into the Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, Jabaliya r.c. in what it says will be a “limited operation,” shelling residential areas, wounding at least 17 Palestinians (including 13 children). The IDF also conducts arrest raids, fires on residential areas in Khan Yunis. In Hebron, the IDF surrounds, evacuates the home of a wanted Palestinian; fires 3 shells at the house when he does not emerge, wounding him; arrests him, demolishes the house. The IDF demolishes a 2d Palestinian home in Salfit. IDF undercover units storm a Jericho caf´e, assassinate senior Amari r.c. AMB mbr. ‘Amr A‘idiyya, wounding 3 Palestinian bystanders, arresting 19. Palestinians retaliate by firing 5 Qassam rockets toward Sederot (damaging a car but causing no injuries), firing 5 mortars at Neve Dekalim (damaging a house). The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches, bulldozes 15 d. in al-Qarara; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Aida r.c., Bethlehem, Dahaysha r.c., Hebron and neighboring Bani Na‘im, Nablus, Thinnaba, Tubas; seals an iron gate in the separation wall southeast of Jerusalem, cutting off access to the West Bank fr. Abu Dis, Azariyya, Sawahara. Israeli police reportedly enter 7 Palestinian voter registration offices in East Jerusalem; order 3 registration workers to report for questioning, photograph voter roles to deter Palestinians from registering. (HA, MM, WP, WT 9/8; VOI, VOP 9/8 in WNC 9/10; PCHR 9/9; BBC 9/21)

The IDF assassinates ARB Rafah cmdr. ‘Amr Abu Sitta and his dep. Zaki Abu Zarqa, firing a missile at their car as they drive in Rafah; fatally shoots Islamic Jihad Tulkarm cmdr. Zahir Ashqar in an exchange of gunfire during an arrest raid in Tulkarm. The IDF also tightens access to Bayt Hanun; steps up bulldozing in Jabaliya r.c.; demolishes 18 Palestinian homes in Rafah; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis; fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Azun and al-Zawiyya nr. Qalqilya, Bayta, Dahaysha r.c., Tubas, Tulkarm r.c. An AMB mbr., an Islamic Jihad mbr. are killed in an explosion outside Gaza’s Netzer Hazani settlement, reportedly when laying a roadside bomb. Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. (MM 7/29; MENA, VOI 7/29 in WNC 7/31; NYT, WP 7/30; PR 8/4; PCHR 8/5)

As PA-Israeli talks on an IDF redeployment fr. n. Gaza continue, the IDF demolishes 13 Palestinian homes in Bayt Hanun, bulldozes 54 dunams of land in Bayt Hanun and Jabaliya r.c.; fires on residential areas of Balata r.c., Bayt Hanun; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in Tubas, Palestinians waiting to cross a checkpoint nr. Khan Yunis. A Palestinian teenager fatally shoots an Israeli telephone worker in Baqa‘ al-Gharbiyya, inside Israel, and is captured; AMB takes responsibility. Later, in the same area, Israeli police fatally shoot 2 Palestinians, arrest 2 others allegedly carrying explosives. A Palestinian gunman shoots, wounds a Jewish settler driving nr. Bethlehem. Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF attempts to evacuate settlers fr. 2 unauthorized outposts for the 4th time in 24 hrs. (HA, MM 6/26; NYT, WP 6/27; NYT, WP 7/1; PCHR 7/3)

The IDF conducts a predawn raid on Jenin, placing the town under curfew, prompting an exchange of gunfire in which 1 IDF soldier is wounded; fires on a Swiss envoy’s diplomatic vehicle at Erez crossing for no apparent reason, causing damage but no injuries (Switzerland files a formal protest.); fires on stone-throwing youths in Tulkarm, killing 1 Palestinian; demolishes 1 Palestinian home in Bayt Furik, 1 outside Hebron, 1 in al-Til; confiscates 7 dunams of land in Habla, nr. Qalqilya; fires on residential areas of Bayt Furik, Khan Yunis, Tulkarm r.c.; conducts arrest raids in Abu Dis, Balata r.c., Bethlehem, Kafr Dan, Qalqilya, Tubas, Yamun; tightens roadblocks around Ramallah. In Hebron, 5 Palestinian children are injured when they trigger unexploded munitions while playing. Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries; detonate a roadside bomb underneath an IDF vehicle in Gaza, causing damage but no injuries. Extremist rightwing Jewish settlers affiliated with the “hilltop youth” and the outlawed Kach movement announce plans to launch a “personal incitement campaign” against Sharon in light of his approval of the road map. (HA 5/27; AFP 5/27 in WNC 5/28; NYT, WT 5/28; MA 5/28 in WNC 5/29; LAW, PCHR 5/29)

The IDF conducts arrest raids in Qalqilya, Tulkarm town and r.c., Tubas (capturing senior Hamas mbr. Salman Daraghma, who previously escaped an IDF assassination attempt); fatally shoots a Palestinian stone thrower in Tulkarm r.c.; fatally shoots a mentally handicapped Palestinian during an arrest raid in Qabatiyya when he fails orders to halt, bars medical workers fr. reaching him, allowing him to bleed to death; demolishes 1 Palestinian home each in Jenin, Khan Yunis, Silwan; seals 3 Palestinian homes in Silwan; shells residential areas of Jenin, damaging 4 homes, destroying 11 stores; bulldozes 20 artesian wells in Qalqilya; conducts arrest raids in Amari r.c., Nablus, Qalqilya, Tulkarm, Urta. Hamas issues a statement in Beirut claiming to have received a large number of RPGs (source not identified; see 12/28), made more Qassam rockets. (HA 1/14; MENA 1/14 in WNC 1/15; LAW, PCHR 1/15)

Britain convenes a mtg. on PA reform in London. Reps. of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Quartet attend in person; PA officials in Gaza, Ramallah attend via video link. The PA briefs participants on reform efforts; Egypt briefs them on Palestinian national unity talks ongoing in Cairo. (HA, WP 1/14; AYM, Interfax, JT, MENA, al-Quds 1/14 in WNC 1/15; MM, NYT, PR, WT 1/15; MENA, SA 1/15 in WNC 1/16; QA 1/15, ITAR-TASS 1/16 in WNC 1/17; AYM 1/15, ITAR-TASS, MENA 1/17 in WNC 1/21; PR 1/22; MEI 1/24)