The Palestine Chronology

IDF troops arrest 18 Palestinians and issue an arrest summons to a 19th during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Salfit, Hebron, and Bethlehem. Meanwhile, Israeli forces confiscate a number of water pipes from Khirbat alHadidiya village in the Jordan Valley. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 4 Palestinians during late-night raids in Issawiyya and Abu Dis. (WAFA 5/24; PCHR 5/27)

In a meeting with French PM Valls in Ramallah, PA PM Rami Hamdallah rejects Israeli PM Netanyahu’s 5/23 call for direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Elsewhere, a U.S. official says that the Obama admin. is skeptical of Netanyahu’s push for bilateral talks, saying “we of course support meaningful negotiations, [but] we do not believe in negotiations just for the sake of negotiations.” (AFP, HA, JP, JTA, MNA, TOI 5/24)

In Gaza, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion e. of Jabaliya to level land. IDF troops stationed nr. Rafah arrest 3 Palestinians attempting to cross the border into Israel. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. A small armed group, with self-proclaimed affiliations to ISIS, posts a statement online threatening to “act” against Hamas if certain prisoners are not freed within 72 hours. Hours later, a bomb explodes on the perimeter of Hamas’s security headquarters in Gaza City. The group does not take credit for the bombing, but Hamas police proceed to arrest dozens of the group’s mbrs. and destroy a makeshift mosque-headquarters in Dayr al-Balah. In the West Bank, Israeli forces set up 12 mobile homes early in the morning on 650 dunams of previously leveled land outside a Palestinian village nr. Bethlehem. Meanwhile, the IDF conducts drills in the n. Jordan Valley, causing fire damage on large tracts of agricultural land; patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 each nr. Nablus, Qalqilya, and Jericho. Israeli forces also conduct house searches and late-night raids in and around Nablus, Jenin, and 1 village nr. Ramallah, arresting 18 Palestinians and confiscating some of their property. A Palestinian throws a Molotov cocktail at a bus of Israeli settlers nr. Nablus, then the IDF imposes a curfew on a nearby village. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security guards shoot and injure a Palestinian man at a Light Rail station nr. the French Hill settlement, after reportedly mistaking his belt buckle for a knife. (AFP, HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 5/4; AP, MNA 5/5; JP 5/7)

Israel’s High Court of Justice approves COGAT’s request to demolish a number of tents and homes in a Palestinian village nr. Hebron. Approximately 450 Palestinians will be displaced. (MNA 5/4; JP 5/5)

Israeli FM Avigdor Lieberman resigns as FM and says his Yisrael Beytenu party will not be joining the ruling coalition of PM Netanyahu’s next govt. He says that he chose “principles and not portfolios,” and that “what’s being built is not a national camp, but a govt. that smacks of opportunism.” Netanyahu’s deadline for forming a coalition is 5/6. (HA, JP, YA 5/4)

Mortar rounds fired from inside Syria hit a UN Disengagement Observer Force base in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, injuring 2 international peacekeepers. The IDF says that the fire was not deliberately aimed across the Israeli border. (AFP, REU, TOI 5/4)

In Gaza, a Palestinian man is killed in a tunnel collapse nr. Rafah. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and critically injure a Palestinian youth by the separation wall nr. Jenin. The young man will succumb to his injuries late at night. They also conduct house searches and raids in Tulkarm, 1 village and al- ‘Azza r.c. nr. Bethlehem, and 1 village nr. Nablus, arresting 6 Palestinians; patrols in 5 villages nr. Jenin, al-‘Arub r.c. and 1 village nr. Hebron, and 1 village each nr. Ramallah, Qalqilya, and Tulkarm. Overnight, Israeli forces demolish 4 residential structures in the n. Jordan Valley and a home nr. Jenin; conduct a large drill nr. Tubas that leads to fire damage on 3,000–4,000 dunams of farmland. Israeli settlers chop down over 100 almond, grape, and olive trees outside Hebron. Unknown Palestinians throw Molotov cocktails at an Israeli settler’s car nr. Nablus, injuring 1 and causing damage. In East Jerusalem, hundreds of Palestinians gather in al-Tur for the funeral of the Palestinian youth killed by Israeli forces on 4/24, defying the Israeli attempt to restrict the funeral to 70 mourners. Minor clashes break out with Israeli forces, but there are no serious injuries. (The Israeli authorities withheld the teen’s body until early this morning and they required his family to pay approximately $5,000 to get it back.) Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinian women nr. Haram al-Sharif. (WAFA 4/26; JP, MNA, WAFA 4/27; HA, MNA, WAFA 4/28; PCHR 4/29)

The Israeli govt. invites tenders for the construction of 77 residences in Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem—36 in Neve Yaakov and 41 in Pisgat Ze’ev. (AFP, JTA, REU, WAFA 4/27)

UN Secy.-Gen. Ban publishes a summary of a report compiled by an official UN board of inquiry on OPE. The board found that the 7 documented attacks on UN schools during Israel’s assault on Gaza in 7–8/2014 led to 44 Palestinian deaths and 227 injuries. It also found that 3 UN facilities were used by Palestinian groups for weapons storage. (HA, MNA 4/27; EI 4/28)

Iranian FM Zarif meets with U.S. Secy. of State Kerry to continue their negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, on the sidelines of a UN nonproliferation conference in New York. (REU 4/27; AP 4/28)

In separate incidents off the coast of Gaza nr. al-Sudaniyya and Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing damage but no injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces destroy several tents and corrugated tin dwellings in the Jordan Valley. Nr. Nablus, unknown assailants open fire on an IDF jeep, causing light damage. The IDF increases restrictions at checkpoints nr. Nablus in response. The IDF also conducts raids in a village nr. Hebron, arresting 1 Palestinian; patrols in 2 villages nearby. Israeli settlers light 2 Palestinian vehicles on fire nr. Ramallah and leave price-tag graffiti in the area. In East Jerusalem, 56 Israeli settlers tour Haram al-Sharif to commemorate the Jewish holiday Purim. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/4; HA, PCHR, TOI 3/5; PCHR 3/12)

The PA Finance Ministry confirms that Israel’s freeze on tax revenue transfers to the PA is continuing for a 3d mo. and that, as a result, the PA can only afford to pay many of its employees 60% of their salaries. Employees who earn less than NIS 2,000 (around $500) per mo. will be fully paid on 3/5. (MNA, WAFA 3/4)

Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Yoav Mordechai, announces that the amount of water annually allowed into the Gaza Strip will be doubled from 5 to 10 million m3 . (HA, MNA, TOI 3/4)

The Palestinian Central Council (PCC) meets in Ramallah to discuss several issues, including the PA’s economic crisis and the possibility of suspending or cutting security coordination with Israel. At the request of PA Pres. Abbas, they review the interim agreements made with Israel in the 1990s that created the PA. Abbas says that he recently turned down an Israeli offer to unfreeze the transfers of tax revenues in exchange for the Palestinians abandoning their efforts at the International Criminal Court (ICC). (AFP, JP, TOI, WAFA, YA 3/4)

The day after Israeli PM Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) says that Congress should not pass new sanctions-related legislation until the negotiators have had a chance to produce an agreement. Also, 10 senators send a letter to Majority Leader McConnell criticizing his procedural move on 3/3 to circumvent comm. consideration of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act. (HA, JTA 3/5)

In the Gaza Strip, around 200 Palestinians violently protest outside the UN’s headquarters in Gaza City against UNRWA’s 1/27 suspension of its cash assistance program. The protest was organized by a Hamas comm. IDF troops e. of Khan Yunis open fire on agricultural lands, causing damage. Unknown assailants set fire to a Fatah official’s car in Gaza City. Also, dozens of Palestinian health professionals gather outside the Ministry of Health building to protest unpaid salaries. In the West Bank, a Palestinian youth is moderately injured when he sets off a piece of unexploded Israeli ordnance left over after recent IDF exercises nr. ‘Ayn al-Hilwa in the Jordan Valley. The IDF conducts arrest raids and house searches nr. Hebron and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, IDF troops conduct house searches and arrest raids in the Old City. An Israeli settler attempts to kidnap a Palestinian youth in Silwan, moderately injuring him in the attack. (AFP, MNA, WAFA 1/28; HA, MNA, PCHR 1/29; HA 1/30; PCHR 2/5)

Hours after the IDF retaliated to projectile fire from Syria on 1/27, Hizballah fighters fire an antitank missile from inside Lebanon at an IDF convoy in a disputed area along the border nr. Shaba‘ Farms, killing 2 soldiers and injuring 7. The IDF responds with artillery fire, killing a Spanish peacekeeper with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). About an hour later, Hizballah fires mortars at several IDF positions in the area, causing no injuries. The IDF responds again by firing between 25 and 50 artillery shells and conducting IAF flyovers. Following the exchange, Hizballah and the Israeli govt. then exchange messages through UNIFIL expressing the desire to avoid further escalation. (AFP, BBC, HA, JP, MNA, TOI 1/28)

U.S. House of Reps. minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) calls Israeli PM Netanyahu and asks him to postpone or cancel his planned 3/3 congressional address. Netanyahu also speaks to Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV), the minority leader, and Chuck Schumer (D-NY), a prominent supporter of Israel. (RC 1/28; JP 1/29; HA 1/30)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troopsstationed along the n. border open fire on a group of stonethrowing Palestinians, injuring 4. A Palestinian is injured in an explosion nr. the French Cultural Center in Gaza City. (A small armed group takes responsibility for the attack on 12/18.) In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation, as well as the recent death of a senior PA official on 12/10 nr. Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, and 1 village nearby (Bayt Umar), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum). Two Palestinians are hit by tear gas canisters in Bil‘in and 7 are shot with rubbercoated metal bullets elsewhere. Meanwhile, a Palestinian man throws vinegar at a family of 5 Israeli settlers nr. Bethlehem, lightly injuring all of them. (The Israeli press 1st reported the story as an acid attack.) Another Israeli settler hits the Palestinian man with his car and shoots him in the leg, moderately injuring him. Shin Bet officers arrive soon after to detain the Palestinian man. The IDF then conducts a raid of his home. Separately, Palestinians throw stones at IDF troops on a patrol of Bayt Umar nr. Hebron, sparking clashes in which 3 Palestinians are injured with rubber-coated metal bullets. The IDF also patrols in the n. Jordan Valley, where they assault a Palestinian farmer and lightly injure him. IDF troops fire tear gas at dozens of Palestinians throwing stones at the soldiers; 1 Palestinian youth and 1 Israeli officer are injured. Israeli soldiers also conduct a raid s. of Bethlehem; patrol in Tulkarm. Following a march marking Hamas’s 27th anniversary, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, the Israeli police increase their patrols and deploy additional officers around Haram al-Sharif. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WP, YA 12/12; MNA, TOI 12/13; IMEMC 12/14; AFP, PCHR 12/18; EI 12/22)

The Israel Prison Service threatens to move the 70 Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike since 12/9 to criminal sections of their prisons, which would decrease their quality of life, if they continue their strike. (MNA 12/12)

U.S. Secy. of State Kerry phones Russian FM Sergey Lavrov and PA Pres. Abbas separately to discuss the French and Palestinian draft UNSC res. Kerry pressures Abbas not to end security coordination with Israel in response to the 12/10 death of senior PA official Ziad Abu Ein. Following the call, senior PLO and Fatah officials postpone their meeting to discuss a response until 12/14. (JP, MNA 12/13)

The Portuguese parliament adopts a recommendation calling on the govt. to recognize Palestinian statehood “in coordination with the EU.” (AFP, TOI 12/12; HA, IMEMC, WAFA 12/13)

In the Gaza Strip, the Union of Civil Servants announces that all govt. employees will go on strike on 12/11, and that school workers will strike on 12/14, in protest of the PA unity govt.’s failure to pay civil servants in Gaza who were hired after Hamas came to power in 2007. An IDF tank stationed along the border e. of al-Bureij r.c. fires on agricultural land, causing damage. Hours later, 4 IDF tanks and 3 armored bulldozers cross the border fence in e. Gaza, leveling land and firing live ammunition toward Palestinian property. In the West Bank, IDF troops detain 2 Palestinians as they approach the Tekoa settlement nr. Bethlehem. Israeli forces confiscate 3 Palestinian-owned tractors while patrolling in a bedouin village in the n. Jordan Valley. They also stop work on a UN Development Program project nr. Salfit, detain 2 Palestinian workers, and confiscate 1 tractor. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm, and Jenin. Israeli settlers cut the wires to 4 electricity poles and chop down several olive trees nr. Burin village s. of Nablus, clearing the area for the expansion of 2 nearby settlements. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police raid the Silwan home of Ahmad al-Ghoul, head of the Fatah Youth Movement in Jerusalem, and arrest him. He was recently attacked by Israeli settlers on 11/21. Israeli authorities deliver demolition notices to several residences and commercial buildings in Silwan, al-Tur, Issawiyya, and Jabal Mukabir. Israeli police detain 2 Palestinian women at Haram al-Sharif. They also conduct arrest raids around East Jerusalem; deliver demolition notices in Silwan, al-Tur, Issawiyya, and Jabal Mukabir. (IMEMC, JP, MNA, WAFA 12/9; PCHR 12/10)

After threatening a mass action on 12/6, 70 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons launch a hunger strike in protest of Israel’s treatment of a fellow prisoner and its use of solitary confinement. (MNA 12/9; WAFA 12/10)

The Knesset Finance Comm. approves a series of public funds transfers, including PM Netanyahu’s 12/8 request for around $20 m. to support the West Bank settlements. (AFP, TOI, YA 12/9)

The Lower House of the Irish Parliament unanimously passes a nonbinding res. calling on the Irish govt. to recognize Palestinian statehood, similar to the 1 passed by the Upper House on 10/23. (REU 12/9; HA 12/11)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops open fire on farmers working on agricultural land close to the border fence nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. Separately, IDF troops conduct a limited incursion nr. Bayt Hanun to level land. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 5 Palestinian-owned structures in Khirbet Yerza in the Jordan Valley, displacing 5 families. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village and Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, and in Nablus, at night; patrols in Hebron and 2 nearby villages in the afternoon, and in 1 village each nr. Hebron and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish 5 structures belonging to the Bedouin al-Jahalin community in al-‘Izzariya, displacing 55. (MNA, WAFA 2/17; PCHR 2/20)

Iran’s Amb. to Moscow Mehdi Sanaei says that Tehran is looking to commission Russia to build a 2d nuclear power reactor in exchange for oil shipments, and that negotiations over the exchange began when Russian pres. Vladimir Putin met with Iranian pres. Hassan Ruhani in 9/2013. Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tells a crowd in Tabriz, n. Iran, that while he does not oppose continued talks with the international community, he does not believe they will lead anywhere. (AFP, REU 2/17)

Jordanian soldiers shoot and kill a gunman who opened fire on their position while attempting to cross the border from Syria. (AP 2/17)

Egyptian forces shoot and kill 5 fighters reportedly connected to “terrorist” groups in Shaykh Zuwayd and Rafah in n. Sinai, according to military sources. Meanwhile, security forces also destroy 21 tunnels under the border with the Gaza Strip. (MNA 2/18)

In the Gaza Strip, 1 Palestinian dies and 2 are injured in an explosion nr. al-Bureij r.c., while 1 other Palestinian dies in another explosion in the same camp, a mbr. of Hamas’s Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades. Both are suspected to be “work accidents.” Israeli forces open fire on Palestinian protesters close to the border fence nr. al-Shuhada’ cemetery in the n. Gaza Strip, wounding 5. In the West Bank, the IDF evicts Palestinian activists at the ‘Ayn Hiljeh protest camp in the Jordan Valley, lightly wounding 35. Subsequently, activists establish a new protest village in al-Joula in the n. Jordan Valley. The IDF clashes with protesters in Jalazun r.c. and in Silwad nr. Ramallah, with 12 wounded by live ammunition in the former, and 10 wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets in the latter. The IDF patrols in Nablus and 1 nearby village, 2 villages nr. Hebron and 1 village each nr. Jenin and Nablus at night. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements and occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin), 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara). There are no serious injuries, except in Kafr Qaddum (2 struck by tear gas canisters and 2 with rubber-coated metal bullets) and Nabi Salih (3 struck by tear gas canisters and 1 with a rubbercoated metal bullet). In East Jerusalem, clashes between worshippers and Israeli forces at Haram al-Sharif leave 18 injured. (AFP, HA, MNA 2/7; PCHR 2/13)

UNRWA workers end a 2-mo. strike that began 12/3 over low pay and working conditions, news announced by UNRWA chief Filippo Grandi. (AFP 2/7)

Australia’s Woodside Petroleum Ltd. takes a 25% stake in Israel’s large Leviathan gas field in the e. Mediterranean, as Israel takes a step toward becoming a natural gas exporter. (REU 2/7)

In the West Bank, the IDF expels 35 Palestinian Bedouin families from their homes in the n. Jordan Valley. The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Hebron at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in al-‘Arub. r.c. nr. Hebron in the afternoon. Jewish settlers destroy around 100 olive trees in Wadi Yanun nr. Nablus. Separately,settlers assault a Palestinian in the village of Turmus ‘Ayya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish 3 Palestinian homes in Bayt Hanina, Sur alBahir, and Jabal Mukabir, and compel another man to demolish his own home, leaving 28 homeless. Clashes erupt in Jabal Mukabir, leaving 15 Palestinians injured and 7 arrested. (MNA, WAFA 2/5; PCHR 2/6)

The Jerusalem municipality approves plans for 558 new housing units in East Jerusalem settlements Har Homa, Neve Ya’acov and Pisgat Ze’ev. The U.S. State Dept. condemns the decision, with spokesperson Jen Psaki telling the daily press briefing that they oppose “any unilateral actions” that prejudice the creation of “a positive atmosphere for the negotiations.” (JP, REU 2/5)

U.S. Under Secy. of State Wendy Sherman tells the Senate Foreign Relations Cmte. that the Obama administration is warning businesses heading to Iran that “Tehran is not open for business” because the “sanctions relief is quite temporary, quite limited, and quite targeted.” Meanwhile, a French business delegation with 116 mbrs. visits Tehran. (AFP 2/5)

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians fire 1 rocket into s. Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval vessels open fire at Palestinian fishermen, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, a Palestinian opens fire on the entrance of Migdal Oz settlement nr. Bethlehem, causing no injuries. Israeli forces disperse a protest march nr. Jiftlik in the Jordan Valley, after demonstrators temporarily blocked Highway 90. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Qalqilya in the afternoon, and in 1 village nr. Bethlehem and in Nablus at night; patrols in 5 villages and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron and 1 village nr. Bethlehem at night. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces shoot and seriously wound a Palestinian during clashes in Anata r.c. (MNA, YA 1/18; PCHR 1/23)

Israeli energy minister Silvan Shalom attends a meeting of the International Renewable Energy Agency in the UAE, the 1st time Israel has sent a minister to such a meeting since the organization began in 2009. (AFP, HA 1/18)

Syrian FM Walid Muallem, in Moscow for talks with Russia’s FM Lavrov, offers a prisoner exchange ahead of proposed peace talks in Switzerland. Meanwhile, the SNC agrees to attend the talks, and also says that 3 armed factions—the Soldiers of the Levant, the Syrian Revolutionaries Front, and the Mujahiddin Army—wish to be represented at the conference. (AFP, REU 1/18)

Egyptian authorities confirm that 98% of the voters who participated in the 1/14 referendum supported the approval of the new constitution, with under 40% of the electorate participating. (AP, REU 1/18)

IAEA inspectors arrive in Tehran in anticipation of the implementation of the 6-mo. interim agreement on 1/20. The team is responsible for monitoring compliance and inspecting the Natanz and Fordow nuclear facilities. (AP, REU 1/18)

In Israel, an explosive device detonates on a bus in Bat Yam, causing no casualties as the vehicle had been evacuated. Israeli police describe it as a “terrorist attack,” and a Hamas spokesperson in Gaza describes the bombing as a “heroic act.” No group, however, claims responsibility. In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians fire 1 rocket into s. Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Separately, a rocket fired from inside the Gaza Strip lands in Egyptian territorial waters nr. Rafah, causing no injuries. Hamas authorities say that the rocket was fired during a training exercise and reached Egypt by mistake. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning, and in 2 villages nr. Jenin and in 1 village each nr. Hebron and Tulkarm; patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning, in 2 villages and alFawar r.c. nr. Hebron, and in 2 villages nr. Salfit at night. (AFP, AP, HA, MNA, REU, YA 12/22; PCHR 12/26)

Asst. Secy.-Gen. on Palestinian affairs at the Arab League Mohammad Sbeih says that Kerry intends to present Palestinian and Israeli leaders with a framework peace deal by the end of the month. Sbeih also reveals Abbas’ position on the peace agreement, including refusal of any Israeli military presence in the Jordan Valley, the entirety of East Jerusalem as the capital, limited land swaps of equal value, and no recognition of Israel as a “Jewish state.” (AP, MNA, ToI 12/22)

Reps. from Iran and the P5+1 suspend their talks in Geneva to resume after Christmas. (REU 12/22)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village each nr. Hebron, Jenin, Jerusalem, Nablus, and Ramallah at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Hebron at night. (PCHR 11/7)

Israel issues tenders for the construction of more than 1,700 homes, shortly ahead of a visit by U.S. Secy. of State Kerry. The tenders are part of 3,500 homes whose planned construction was announced after the latest prisoner release. The tenders are for homes in East Jerusalem settlements Ramat Shlomo and Gilo, as well as West Bank settlements like Elkana, Ma’ale Adumim, and Beitar Ilit. There is also 196 homes planned for Karnei Shomron, a settlement outside the “blocs” Israel expects to keep in any future deal. Separately, Israeli media report that PM Netanyahu intends to build a separation barrier between the West Bank and Jordan, as part of the govt.’s plans to maintain an Israeli presence in the Jordan Valley. Responding to developments, Pres. Abbas spokesperson Abu Rudayna says that the decision to build a fence along the border with Jordan is aimed at undermining Kerry’s upcoming mission, while PLO mbr. Wassel Abu Yousef slams the settlement tenders and says the PLO is considering how to get UN action against these decisions. Kerry, in Egypt, responds to a question at a press conference with FM Nabil Fahmy by saying that settlement construction disturbs “people’s perceptions of whether . . . we’re moving in the right direction.” (AFP, JP, MNA, REU, ToI 11/3)

U.S. Undersecy. of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman assures Israel that Obama has not offered any sanctions relief to Iran and that Israeli security is a priority of the administration. Speaking to Israeli television, Sherman says that the U.S. may offer temporary, limited sanctions relief as part of the diplomatic process while leaving core oil and banking sanctions in place. (HA, JP 11/3)

In Egypt, U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry expresses optimism about a return to democracy, and describes Cairo as a vital partner of Washington. Unnamed senior State Dept. officials say that Kerry did not discuss ousted pres. Morsi’s trial in meetings with Pres. Adly Mansour and Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. (REU 11/3)

In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli troops open fire on Palestinian fishermen nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, an Israeli settler is killed and his wife wounded, when they are attacked by a Palestinian outside their home in the n. Jordan Valley. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Hebron at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon, and in 3 villages nr. Hebron, and 1 village each nr. Jenin, Ramallah and Tulkarm at night. Jewish settlers torch 3 Palestinian cars in Burqa village nr. Ramallah and leave racist graffiti on the wall of the mosque. In East Jerusalem, Jewish right-wing activists enter the al-Aqsa mosque compound to perform religious rituals. (MNA 10/10; REU, JP 10/11; PCHR 10/24)

Israel’s FM Yair Lapid meets with U.S. VP Joe Biden, Treasury Secy. Jack Lew and White House Middle East Coordinator Phil Gordon at the White House. The meeting focuses on developments regarding Iran, negotiations with the Palestinians, and the need to strengthen economic ties with the latter. (YA 10/11)

Speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry says that the cuts in aid to Egypt will not have much impact in the country, that it is not a “withdrawal” from relations with Cairo, and that the aid could be restored should “credible progress” be made in restoring an inclusive govt. Egyptian military spokesperson Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali declines to comment, but the Foreign Ministry calls the decision “flawed . . . in terms of content and timing.” Meanwhile, a suicide attack on a military checkpoint nr. al-Arish kills 4 soldiers and wounds 5 others. (AFP, AP, MNA, REU 10/10)

In Washington, U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry and VP Joe Biden meet with senior Arab officials including the Bahraini, Egyptian, Jordanian and Qatari FMs, and representatives from the PA, Arab League, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia for talks on the peace process. Qatari PM Shaykh Hamad Bin Jassem al-Thani, speaking on behalf of the Arab League delegation, cites the possibility of a border agreement that includes mutually agree and minor land swaps between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Kerry affirms the importance of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative that promised full normalization for Israel’s complete withdrawal from the occupied territories (including the Golan). (AP, REU 29/4)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 1 rocket from Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In response to recent rocket fire (see also 4/27), Israel closes the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing, further restricts movement through the Erez crossing to ‘‘humanitarian cases,’’ though it cancels visits for Gazan families of Palestinians jailed in Israel (VIPs were the only others allowed to cross Gaza). Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishermen off the south Gaza coast east of Rafah, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF soldiers evict several hundred Bedouin from Wadi al-Malih village in the Jordan Valley after declaring the area a live fire training zone (see 4/24). Meanwhile, Israel demolishes 4 Palestinian apartments in the al-Tur neighborhood of East Jerusalem, as well as a water well and utility room in the al-Fawar r.c. in Hebron. The IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Tulkarm in the morning, in 2 villages nr. Jenin in the afternoon. At night, IDF troops conduct house searches and arrest raids in Dahaysha r.c. in Bethlehem, in Hebron, in 5 villages nr. Hebron, in Nablus, and in 1 village nr. Ramallah. Jewish settlers attack Palestinians in Bayt Furik village nr. Nablus, injuring 2. (AFP, MNA REU 4/29; PCHR 5/2)

UN Secy.-Gen. Ban Ki-moon urges the Syrian government to allow experts into the country to investigate reports of alleged use of chemical weapons. Damascus wants any investigation limited to a 3/2013 incident nr. Aleppo while Ban wants to also include a 12/2012 incident in Homs. (see 4/24) (AP 4/29)

Israel announces that the military has completed the main section of the 142-mi. Israel-Egypt border fence, a task that took 21=2 yrs. at a cost of around $377 m. PM Netanyahu, visiting the fence, says that ‘‘tens of thousands’’ of African migrants (‘‘infiltrators’’) will soon be forcibly repatriated. (ToI, AP 1/2)

U.S. State Dept. spokesperson Victoria Nuland says that the Obama admin. is urging Israeli and Palestinian leaders to resume direct talks in 2013 and halt ‘‘counter-productive unilateral actions.’’ (AFP 1/2)

Israeli newspaper Ha’Aretz reports that Israeli authorities have begun barring foreign nationals living and working in the West Bank from entering East Jerusalem and Israel by stamping their passports with ‘‘Judea and Samaria only.’’ Some of these people are Palestinians born in the West Bank, but whose residency status was rescinded by Israel pre1994 due to a prolonged stay abroad. (HA 2/1)

The IDF orders dozens of Palestinians in the Jordan Valley to leave their homes for the duration of military exercises. Bedouin communities say that these temporary evacuation orders have increased in frequency and that they are being pressured to permanently leave the area. (AP 1/2)

Elsewhere in the West Bank, Jewish settlers enter Jalud village nr. Nablus and clash with residents, injuring 4 Palestinians (including 1 child). Settlers also vandalize a mosque nr. Efrat settlement s. of Bethlehem. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah at night. (AP 1/2; PCHR, PNN 1/3)

Following protests on 1/1, the PA announces that it will cancel outstanding electricity bill debts for every West Bank resident. Those being investigated for electricity theft will not be included in the deal. (MNA 1/2)

In the morning, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border w. of the Erez crossing direct gunfire and 1 artillery shell at open areas around the former Nisanit settlement site, causing no reported injuries. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya launch 4 artillery shells at open areas near the border, causing no reported injuries. Late at night, Israeli warplanes make a total of 7 air strikes on greenhouses and open areas nr. the Bayt Lahiya border in the north, a suspected weapons factory in c. Gaza, and a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. A Palestinian civilian dies of injuries sustained in a 11/14/01 IDF air strike on a UNRWA school in Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 9 Palestinian stores in al-Oja village in the Jordan Valley, n. of Jericho; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Ramallah (where they target the home of Hamas-affiliated Reform and Change PC mbr. ‘Abd al-Jabir Fuqaha, arresting him, summoning his son for interrogation, and confiscating his computer, phone, and files), in Nablus, and nr. Hebron; conducts late-night patrols in 1 village nr. Qalqilya (summoning 3 Palestinians for interrogation). In East Jerusalem’s Shaykh Jarrah neighborhood, Israeli security forces raid the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office and a protest tent outside, detaining Hamas-affiliated PC mbrs. Muhammad Toutah and Khalid Abu Arafa, who had been living at the ICRC offices since 6/2010 to protest Israel’s 9/2009 decision to revoke their Jerusalem IDs on the grounds that they are affiliated with a “terrorist organization” (i.e., Hamas); Israeli authorities expel them to the West Bank. Hamasaffiliated PC mbr. Ismail Ashkar comments, “Every time we move toward reconciliation and reactivating the Palestinian parliament, we see Israel targeting our lawmakers.” (AFP, JP, NYT, YA 1/24; WP, WT 1/25; PCHR 1/26; OCHA 1/27)

Israeli embassies and mission in the Hague, Brussels, London, New York, Boston, and Houston receive envelopes containing a suspicious white powder that turns out to be flour, raising fears of an anthrax attack. No one takes responsibility. (DS 1/24; JPI 2/3)

In his first statement since the 10/8 Arab League decision, Netanyahu, at the opening of the fall session of the Knesset, publicly offers a “limited” extension of its partial settlement freeze if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. Abbas rejects this as a key concession that Israel seeks as a basis to reject Palestinian refugees’ right of return to their homes in Israel, noting that the PLO formally recognized the State of Israel in an exchange of letters before signing the 1993 Oslo Accord. The State Dept. suggests that Abbas make a counter offer to keep the process going. (AFP, NYT, WP 10/11; AFP, HA 10/12)

Meanwhile, Israel’s ministerial comm. on legislation sends a bill to the Knesset for a second reading that would require a national referendum before any territory could be ceded in a peace agreement. (JTA, NYT 10/11)

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, IDF undercover units make an incursion into Silwan in East Jerusalem, arresting 4 Palestinian boys (ages 12–13), firing rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them, seriously wounding a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy; all 4 boys arrested are released on 10/12. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya. An Israeli military court sentences Abdullah Abu Rahma, head of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in the West Bank village of Bil‘in who organizes the weekly demonstrations against the separation wall, to 1 year in jail (including time served) and a $1,250 fine; Abu Rahma was arrested in 12/09 and convicted in 8/2010 of incitement and participating in illegal demonstrations. PA PM Salam Fayyad holds a groundbreaking ceremony to inaugurate a new agroindustrial park in the Jordan Valley, which is expected to create 10,000 new Palestinian jobs. (JTA 10/12; Israel National News, WT 10/13; PCHR 10/14; OCHA 10/15; Irish Times 10/21; UNSCO 10/22)

As the campaign period for the 1/25 Palestinian elections opens, Israeli police in East Jerusalem arrest Independent Palestine candidate Mustafa Barghouthi as he campaigns, releases him after 4 hrs.; detain 7 Fatah candidates campaigning in the city; disperse a Third Way rally led by Palestinian Council (PC) mbr. Hanan Ashrawi (Jerusalem); in 2 separate incidents, bars Central Election Commission (CEC) staff mbrs. fr. crossing a Tulkarm checkpoint to attend an election-related mtg. in nearby Dayr al-Ghusun and the Jordan Valley; blocks the transportation of election campaigning material fr. the West Bank to Gaza; sends troops into Jenin town and r.c. Meanwhile, the IDF opens the new Kerem Shalom commercial crossing on the Egypt-Gaza-Israel border; fatally shoots wanted Palestinian Mustafa Muhammad during an arrest raid nr. Hebron; raids a Palestinian school in Anata n. of Jerusalem, firing rubber bullets, injuring 1 teacher, 1 student and then fires on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, wounding 8; bulldozes a Palestinian home in Bayt Hanina; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, Jalazun r.c., Jenin town and r.c., Nablus, Qalqilya; dismantles 3 unauthorized settlement outposts nr. Bat Ayin, Efrat, Pdu’el. In response to the 1/2 assassination, Islamic Jihad fires at least 12 rockets at the Negev, the ARB fires a rocket at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF responds with artillery fire on 8 roads leading to the n. Gaza no-go zone, causing no injuries. The AMB, ARB claim joint responsibility for detonating an explosive device nr. an IDF bulldozer operating on Jenin r.c., seriously injuring 1 IDF soldier. PA police arrest Gaza AMB leader Ala’ al-Hams for plotting the kidnapping of 3 Britons on 12/28. Jewish settlers fr. Avraham Avino break into, rob, vandalize several Palestinian shops in Hebron. (AFP, AP, BBC, HA, IMEMC, JAZ 1/3; IMEMC, PMC, WP, WT, YA 1/4; HA, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 1/5; HA 1/6; PLO Negotiation Affairs Dept. press release 1/23)

The IDF assassinates Hamas spiritual leader and founder Shaykh Ahmad Yasin, firing 3 internationally banned flechette missiles at him as he leaves a Gaza City mosque after morning prayers, also killing 3 bodyguards, 4 bystanders, wounding at least 17 Palestinians, including Yasin’s 2 sons. Immediately, 100,000s of Palestinians take to the streets throughout the territories to protest the assassination. The IDF seals Gaza; clashes with Palestinian demonstrators in Balata r.c. (killing an al-Najah Radio correspondent in Balata r.c., apparently thinking his mobile phone was a weapon), Bethlehem, Dayr al-Balah, Hebron (fatally shooting 1 Palestinian watching fr. his balcony), Jenin, Khan Yunis (killing 3 Palestinians), Nablus; fires on residential areas of Rafah, Qalqilya, Tal Zu’rub; imposes a curfew on areas around Jenin, fires on residential areas; temporarily occupies a Palestinian home as an IDF post nr. Dayr al-Balah. 100s of Palestinian youths in East Jerusalem gather at checkpoints to throw stones at IDF soldiers; Palestinian prisoners in 2 Israeli jails riot. Palestinians fire Qassam rockets, mortars, antitank rockets at Gush Katif and Netzarim settlements, nearby IDF posts, the western Negev, damaging 2 apartments in Netzarim but causing no injuries. An ax-wielding Palestinian fr. the West Bank village of Bidiyya wounds 3 Israelis outside an army base in Tel Aviv before being arrested. An unidentified assailant said to be Arab stabs, lightly wounds 3 Israelis on a Jaffa bus. 4 Palestinians are arrested for beating up a Jewish settler in East Jerusalem. Jewish settlers detain, beat a Palestinian man in the Jordan Valley. An estimated 200,000 Palestinians, including reps. of all Palestinian factions, take part in Yasin’s funeral services later in the day, with 21 PSF officers forming an honor guard for Yasin’s coffin, Gaza churches ringing their bells, mosques broadcasting Qur’anic verses. Meanwhile, Israeli defense chiefs meet, agree to target the entire remaining Hamas leadership immediately, without waiting for another Hamas attack. Israel also announces that it will close the only mental health clinic serving East Jerusalem Palestinians (1,200 patients) because of “security concerns.” (AP, BBC, CSM, HA, MA, MM, NYT, REU, WP, WT 3/22; AP, ATL, ITARTASS, MNR, MENA, IDF Radio, IRNA, ITARTASS, JP, VIRI, VOI, VOP, XIN 3/22 in WNC 3/24; al-Arabiyya TV [Dubai], Syrian Arab News Agency 3/22 in WNC 4/27; AFP, BBC, CSM, HA, JT, MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/23; AFP, AYM, DUS, HA, al-Hayat al-Jadida, JT, MA, MENA, al-Ra’i, THWR, TSHR, VIRI, YA 3/23 in WNC 3/25; MM, NYT, PR, WP 3/24; ATL, ITAR-TASS, Izvestiya, JT, al-Ra’i, SA, VOP, XIN 3/24 in WNC 3/26; AYM 3/24 in WNC 4/3; JT, MM, PCHR, WJW 3/25; ITAR-TASS, MENA, NHR, VIRI 3/25 in WNC 3/27; MM 3/26; MNR 3/27 in WNC 3/30; AYM 3/30, VOP 3/31 in WNC 4/2; MEI 4/2; PCHR 4/15)

In Washington, Shalom holds further talks on Sharon’s disengagement plan with VP Dick Cheney, Powell, Rice. (WP 3/23)

An AMB suicide bomber fr. Husan detonates a device on a bus in Jerusalem, killing 8 Israelis, wounding 50. Israel says that the attack is proof that Israel needs to build the separation wall. The IDF immediately sends troops into Husan, seals nearby Bethlehem. The IDF also bars an ambulance fr. crossing a checkpoint to reach a Hebron hospital, allowing an ailing Palestinian woman to die; fires in residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Aida r.c., Balata r.c., Bethlehem; issues orders expropriating 27 dunams of Palestinian land until 12/05 for construction of a security fence around Gaza’s Netzarim settlement. A Hamas mbr. dies in Khan Yunis when a missile he is trying to fire prematurely explodes. Palestinians report that the IDF has recently begun barring Palestinians under age 35 fr. crossing checkpoints around Nablus. On the eve of the International Court of Justice hearings on the wall, Israel begins dismantling a 5-mi. stretch of the barrier running east of the n. West Bank village of Baqa‘ al-Sharqiyya; the wall running west of the village will remain; Israel also reportedly plans not to build a 12.5 mi. stretch of wall cutting Jenin off fr. the Jordan Valley, not to dig deep trenches around Ben-Gurion Airport, to remove 2,953 feet of wall in the Qalqilya area. Palestinians across the territories begin holding demonstrations against the wall to coincide with the hearings. Jewish settlers throw rocks, bottles at Palestinian cars in East Jerusalem. (AFP, NYT, WP, WT 2/22; VOP, XIN 2/22 in WNC 2/24; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/23; AFP, MENA 2/23 in WNC 2/25; al-Quds 2/23 in WNC 2/26; AP 2/25; PCHR 2/26; MM 3/12)

The IDF eases the encirclement (in place since the 9/9 suicide bombings) of 6 major Palestinian cities, excluding Jenin and Nablus, in an apparent bid to aid Qurai‘ in forming a cabinet; confiscates 424 dunams of Palestinian land in the n. Jordan Valley for construction of the separation wall; blows up a Palestinian home in Silwad (nr. Ramallah); conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, Qalqilya; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah; shells a main water reservoir in Bayt Hanun, cutting the water supply to the area. Palestinians who are allowed to reach their olive groves for the 1st time since the harvest began report that Jewish settlers have felled 100s of trees nr. Sawiyya (nr. Ely settlement) outside Hawara (where a curfew remains in effect; see 11/4); the IDF confirms the reports, also requests an additional NIS 20 m. fr. the Finance Min. for the fortification of Jewish settlements. Jewish settlers also beat up a Palestinian in East Jerusalem. (AFP, HA, MM 11/5; VOP 11/5 in WNC 11/7; NYT, PCHR 11/6; VOP 11/6 in WNC 11/8; MA 11/7 in WNC 11/11; PCHR 11/13)

A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a powerful device on a bus in Haifa, killing 14 Israelis, 1 Filipino, and injuring more than 40. Arafat condemns the attack, outlaws "any movement, organization, or gathering" that does not abide by his cease-fire order, orders confiscation of illegal weapons, reiterates plans for a crackdown, saying that around 90 Palestinians have already been arrested. Israel dismisses the arrests as "a stunt," seals PA areas, bans all Palestinian vehicular traffic, shells residential areas of Jinin. In one of several similar incidents in the Bethlehem area, 20 PSF officers attempting to arrest journalist Issa Zawahara, who has ties to Islamic Jihad, are chased off by an angry crowd of Palestinians. Arafat later meets with PA security heads, convenes the Palestinian Council (PC) to discuss the recent attacks. (AFP, AP, HA 12/2; AFP, ATL, Interfax, LPA, XIN 12/2 in WNC 12/3; HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 12/3; DUS, MA 12/3 in WNC 12/4; WT 12/4; AYM 12/4 in WNC 12/5; LAW 12/5; WJW 12/6; MEI 12/7; JP 12/14)

Sharon, Bush meet at the White House. Sharon says he does not expect Arafat to take serious steps to arrest those responsible for recent suicide attacks, says Israel will "do what we have to do to protect our citizens." Neither Bush nor U.S. officials urge Israeli restraint. (JP [Internet] 12/2; LPA 12/2 in WNC 12/3; MM, WP, WT 12/3; WT 12/4; VIRI 12/4 in WNC 12/5; MM 12/5)

Meanwhile, Hamas also takes responsibility for a drive-by shooting in Gaza, which leaves 1 Jewish settler dead. In the Jordan Valley, 7 settlers are wounded in a 2d drive-by shooting. Palestinians in Bayt Jala fire on Gilo, injuring 2 settlers. Armed Jewish settlers accost Palestinians in Hizma. An Israeli security guard outside an East Jerusalem bank fatally shoots a Palestinian, apparently fearing that he was about to stage an attack. The IDF fatally shoots 4 Palestinians nr. a Jinin checkpoint, 1 Palestinian in Tulkarm; fires a tank shell at a Palestinian in Qabatiyya, killing him. The IDF also directs shells/heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Aida, Jinin, Khan Yunis, Salim; conducts arrest raids in Abu Dis, Azariyya, Burqa. In Gaza, some 1,000 Hamas supporters rally in support of continued attacks on Israeli targets. In Nablus, 300 Palestinians attend a rally against political arrests sponsored by the National and Islamic Higher Comm. for the Follow-up of the Intifada (NIHC). (HA 12/2; XIN 12/2 in WNC 12/3; PMC, REU, WP 12/3; LAW 12/5)

In Ramallah, Palestinians ambush an IDF patrol car, beat 1 soldier. Israel suspends FRD until the PA complies with a new list of demands, including publicly abandoning plans to declare a state in 5/99, accepting Israeli criteria for prisoner releases, halting all acts of incitement and violence. U.S. rejects demands, says accord "should be implemented as signed." IDF subdues the demonstration, injuring 11 Palestinians. (ITV 12/2 in WNC 12/4; MM, NYT, WP, WT 12/3; MM 12/4; MEI 12/11)

A Palestinian is stabbed to death in East Jerusalem. During the funeral, mourners set fire to an Israeli car and stone Israeli police, who fire rubber bullets. Riot continues for several hrs. (MM 12/2; LAW, NYT, WP, WT 12/3; PR 12/11; JP 12/14)

IDF demolishes 7 Palestinian homes in the Jordan Valley. (AFP [Internet] 12/2)

Turkish pres. Suleyman Demirel taps veteran left-wing politician Bulent Ecevit to form a new government. (MM 12/3) (see 11/25)