The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, a Palestinian school in ‘Ayn Bus was set on fire, damaging classrooms, and racist Hebrew graffiti was painted on the building. Israeli forces seized tracts of land north of Hebron to expand an Israeli settlement. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Biddu, Bethlehem Tubas, Tulkarm, Hebron, and Jenin. During a raid in Jenin, Israeli forces confiscated a vehicle and cash. Palestinians protested the U.S. administration’s version of a peace plan in several places throughout the West Bank; at least 12 Palestinians were reported injured. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian-owned store in Wadi al-Juz. 8 Palestinians were arrested, including 3 during raids in Silwan and the Old City, and 5 at the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Palestinians also protested the U.S. administration’s peace plan. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/28; PCHR 1/30)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted in the 3 corruption cases against him. Prime Minister Netanyahu had earlier on that day, before the indictment, withdrawn his request for immunity from prosecution. (AJ, HA 1/28)

U.S. president Donald Trump, flanked by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, presented the U.S. administration’s version of a peace plan, which on all contentious issues took maximalist Israeli positions. The plan presented a vision for 2 states; however, the map of these 2 “states” presented with the plan showed a carved-up West Bank where the majority of Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley were annexed by Israel. A swath of land in Israel, where some 250,000 Palestinian citizens of Israel live, would be annexed to the Palestinian “state.” Some land in Israel along the Egyptian border would also be part of the Palestinian state. Jerusalem would become part of Israel and the Palestinian capitol would be east of Jerusalem on the West Bank side of the separation border. Gaza and the West Bank would be connected by a bridge or a tunnel. The Palestinian state would be demilitarized, including disarming Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Palestine (PIJ). Israel would control all of Palestine’s international borders. There would be no right of return for Palestinians as “[t]heir Arab brothers have the moral responsibility to integrate them into their countries as the Jews were integrated into the State of Israel.” Furthermore, the peace plan would allow Jews to pray on Haram al-Sharif and the PA would have to stop paying stipends to families of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Palestinians, according to the plan, would have 4 years after the “peace deal” was signed to achieve the right to their own state. (BBC, NPR, NYT, REU 1/28; AJ, HA 1/29; HA 1/30)

The Palestinian leadership’s response to the U.S. administration’s vision of a peace plan was condemnation. PA president Mahmoud Abbas said that “Trump and Netanyahu declared the slap of the century, not the deal. And we will respond with slaps.” At President Abbas’s speech were representatives from Hamas and PIJ. Hamas said Abbas had spoken with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and that the 2 had agreed to stand together in unity on the matter. Abbas also called for an urgent session at the Arab League to discuss the U.S. peace plan. (AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 1/28)

Shortly after the U.S. peace plan was released, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he would convene the Israeli cabinet on 2/1 to start annexing Israeli settlements, the Jordan Valley, and the northern Dead Sea. Jared Kushner, senior advisor to President Trump, said shortly after Netanyahu’s announcement that he did not believe that Israel would start annexing West Bank settlements on 2/1, contradicting the Israeli prime minister. (HA, HA, HA 1/29)

PA minister of education Sabri Saidam visits the Jubbet al-Dhib school that the IDF dismantled on 8/22 and 9/9 to celebrate its rebuilding and opening. Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli forces confiscate machinery from a Palestinian farm near Tubas. Palestinians throw stones at Israeli forces on patrol in Tulkarm and nearby Nur Shams refugee camp, sparking minor clashes; there are no serious injuries. IDF troops arrest 11 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Tulkarm, Jenin, and Ramallah, and patrol near Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct raids in Abu Dis, sparking minor clashes with Palestinian youths; there are no serious injuries. They also arrest 5 Palestinians during raids in Silwan. Off Gaza’s coast late at night, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp on 2 separate occasions, causing no damage or injuries. (MNA, WAFA 9/10; PCHR 9/14)

The PA releases Youth Against Settlement founder Issa Amro on $1,400 bail. He was arrested on 9/4 for Facebook posts criticizing the PA. (AJ, MNA 9/10)

In Cairo, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh chairs the first meeting of Hamas’s top officials since their election earlier this year (see JPS 46 [4] and 47 [1]). They discuss relations with Egypt, the possibility of reconciliation with Fatah, and their regional position. Several Hamas officials then meet with top Egyptian security officers to discuss the Rafah border crossing and other bilateral issues. (TOI 9/10; TOI 9/11)

Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. al-Bureij r.c. Meanwhile, the Israeli authorities temporarily limit the number of trucks permitted to pass through the Kerem Shalom crossing bearing goods for Gaza. Around 70 trucks are denied access. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in al-Khadir nr. Bethlehem and Jayyus nr. Qalqilya, sparking minor clashes with stonethrowing Palestinians in both. IDF troops also arrest 3 Palestinians during raids in Tubas and nr. Tulkarm and Nablus; and patrol during the day nr. Hebron. Israeli forces bulldoze an agricultural road nr. Nablus, then block the road with a sand barrier. Unidentified vandals scrawl swastikas and the words “Death to Jews” on an IDF outpost nr. Hebron late at night. In response, the IDF suspends the Palestinian olive harvest in the area indefinitely. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct raids in Shu‘fat r.c., sparking clashes with stonethrowing residents; at least 12 Palestinians are injured. They arrest 3 Palestinians during further raids in Sur al-Bahir. (MNA, WAFA 10/27; HA 10/30; PCHR 11/3)

PA pres. Abbas meets with Hamas leader Khalid Mishal and his dep. Ismail Haniyeh in Doha. They discuss steps they could take toward Palestinian national reconciliation. Senior Palestinian officials say the meeting is the start of a new reconciliation process, but they add that Abbas and Mishal did not agree on the aims of the new process. (HA, NYT, TOI, YA 10/27; MNA 10/30)

The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Bayt Lahiya, forcing them to return to shore. The IDF sends bulldozers into Gaza n. of Bayt Lahiya to level land along the border fence to improve lines of sight. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abu Dis nr. East Jerusalem; conducts patrols, fires on residential areas of Jenin town and r.c., Tubas. (OCHA 3/21; PCHR 3/22)

With approval of the PC, PA Pres. Mahmud Abbas (Fatah) swears in the first Palestinian national unity government headed by PM Ismail Haniyeh (Change and Reform), in keeping with agreements reached by Fatah and Hamas in Mecca on 2/8 aimed at halting intra-Palestinian violence. (NYT, WP, WT 3/18; WP 3/19)