The Palestine Chronology

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces kill 1 Palestinian and wound 6 when protesters gather at the border fence. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct house searches and arrest raids in Hebron and 4 nearby villages, and 1 village each nr. Bethlehem and Jenin at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning; in 1 village each nr. Hebron and Tulkarm in the afternoon; and in Salfit and 1 nearby village, and al-‘Arub r.c. at night. (REU 1/25; PCHR 1/30)

U.S. Secy. of State Kerry says that he intends to present his framework for final negotiations within a few weeks, according to an Israeli businessman who hears Kerry’s speech at a Davos meeting of “Breaking the Impasse,” a conference of Israeli and Palestinian business people. (See document D1 in JPS 169 for more on Breaking the Impasse.) In Davos, Kerry meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu, who tells Israeli journalists that he has no intention of evacuating any settlements. Meanwhile, the PLO’s 12-mbr. Executive Cmte. meets in Ramallah and agrees on recommendations to pursue options in various UN agencies, regardless of the state of the ongoing negotiations, according to cmte. mbr. Hanna Amirah. Any recommendations need to be approved by PA Pres. Abbas. (MNA 1/25; HA, JP 1/26)

At the UN-sponsored peace conference in Switzerland, Syria’s opposing sides hold their 1st face-to-face meeting, though only speak to each other through UN-Arab League joint special envoy Brahimi. The meeting lasts for 3 hours, with Brahimi describing it as “a good beginning.” Meanwhile, 5 rockets from Syria hit the Hermel region of Lebanon, an attack claimed by Jabhat al-Nusra in Lebanon and Abdullah Azzam Brigades. There is some damage, but no casualties. (AP, DS, REU 1/25)

Anti-govt. and pro-regime marches in Cairo and other Egyptian cities lead to street violence and clashes that kill 29 people. (REU 1/26)

Off the coast of the Gaza Strip nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval vessels attack Palestinian fishermen, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village each nr. Ramallah and Jenin at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Salfit in the morning, in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm, in Salfit and 1 nearby village, and in Hebron in the afternoon, and in 1 village and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron and in Tulkarm at night. (PCHR 1/9)

U.S. Secy. of State Kerry visits Jordan and Saudi Arabia before returning to Jerusalem, in a day of whistle-stop diplomacy focused on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. In Amman, Kerry meets with Jordan’s King Abdallah II and FM Nasser Judeh, and then with King Abdallah in the Saudi monarch’s desert residence. Following 3 days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, an anonymous Palestinian official says that Kerry demanded Abbas recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland, in exchange for Israel’s acceptance of its pre-1967 borders as the basis for talks. Meanwhile, Israeli FM Lieberman tells a meeting of Israeli diplomats that he supports a comprehensive agreement with the Palestinians in the context of U.S.-led negotiations, but also says that he would only accept an agreement including the exchange of land and population, a reference to his longstanding proposal to move a number of Palestinian citizens into a putative Palestinian state. (See document C2 in JPS 171 for extended excerpts of Lieberman’s remarks.) Separately, Israel’s ministerial cmte. on legislation rejects 2 bills proposed by the Labor Party that would have facilitated a two-state solution by placing restrictions on settlement construction and preventing unilateral annexation. (AFP, AP, HA, JP 1/5)

UNRWA workers in the Gaza Strip go on strike over pay and employment conditions, joining West Bank-based UNRWA employees, who went on strike on 12/3. (MNA 1/5)

The Israeli PM’s Office passes responsibility for creating and implementing govt. development plans for the Bedouin communities in the Negev to the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry. Until now, the legislative measure set to codify the Prawer Plan was being overseen by former minister Benny Begin. (ToI 1/3; ToI 1/5)