The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinian minors during a raid in Rumana; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinians during a raid in al-Arroub refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces razed farmland and olive trees in al-Zawiya to make room for water pipes connecting 2 Israeli settlements. Israeli forces also seized 1 bulldozer and construction equipment in Artas, seized 1 mobile home in Duma, and demolished 2 residential structures near Kafr Malik, displacing 17. 12 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Dura, Hebron, Dheisheh refugee camp, Kafr Ni‘ma, and Tulkarm. In the Naqab, Israeli authorities demolished 1 Palestinian-owned home in al-Buqei‘a Bedouin community, displacing 14. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/21; PCHR 9/22; UNOCHA 9/30)

The PA security forces and local militant factions in Nablus reached an agreement to end tensions in the city. The PA security forces reportedly promised not to arrest Palestinians in Nablus on behalf of Israel and that the PA would release many of those arrested on 9/20 during the unrest that followed the arrest of Hamas member Musab Ashtaya. (HA 9/22)

30 Palestinians held on administrative detention announced that they would start an open-ended hunger strike, demanding their freedom. The mass hunger strike is scheduled to begin on 9/25. (AJ 9/25)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas held meetings with leaders of the UK, Libya, Malta, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Norway at the sidelines of the annual UNGA meeting. President Abbas also met with president of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari at the UN building. (WAFA 9/21; WAFA 9/22)

UK prime minister Liz Truss told Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid, during a meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA, that she is considering moving the UK embassy of Israel to Jerusalem. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Truss told reporters that Truss’s government is reviewing the current location of the embassy. The PA condemned the news, saying that “opening an embassy in Jerusalem amounts to complicity in Israel’s illegal annexation of the city.” Prime Minister Lapid also met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and UN secretary-general António Guterres. (ALM, NAT 9/21; AJ, DM, GDN, HA, IN, JP, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 9/22; MEE 9/23; MEMO 9/24)

Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borell convened a meeting with representatives from 25 countries, including the U.S. and the PA, to find ways to revamp the Arab Peace Initiative. (AX 9/21; WAFA 9/22)

The foreign ministers of Egypt, France, Jordan, and Germany held a meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA, focused on revamping the Middle East peace process. The 4 countries released a statement calling on resuming direct negotiations. (WAFA 9/22; WAFA 9/23)

In an interview with French media, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he was “in shock” over Israel’s refusal to supply air defense systems to Ukraine to help the country in its fight against the occupying Russian forces. (TOI 9/23; JP, MEE, REU 9/24; AJ 9/25)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians using live ammunition during a raid in Dheisheh refugee camp. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Ramallah, Bayt Rima, Beit Ula, Fawwar refugee camp, Idhna, Jenin, Jericho, and Fari‘ah refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Silwan and Shu‘fat refugee camp. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen west of al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/23; PCHR 6/30; UNOCHA 7/2)

The Israeli justice ministry began the process of registering land adjacent to the Haram al-Sharif compound, including at the Ophel Archeological Park in the Old City. (HA 6/26; MEE 6/27; MEMO 6/29)

Israeli military authorities extended the administrative detention period of 1 Palestinian prisoner by 4 months despite promising to release him at the end of his current detention period after he had been hunger striking for 111 days. The man is currently hospitalized for complications related to his hunger strike, which he ended on 6/21. The man resumed his hunger strike on 7/2 (WAFA 6/23; WAFA 7/5)

Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh met with Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. There were also reports that Haniyeh was scheduled to meet with Lebanese president Michel Aoun and prime minister Najib Mikati. (HA 6/23)

The PLO executive committee met in Ramallah. During the meeting, the committee discussed the U.S. Biden administration’s failure to fulfil its promises to the Palestinian people and plans to initiate national dialogue to end the intra-Palestinian political division. (WAFA 6/24)

Peace Now released a report marking the first year of the Bennett-Lapid government, detailing how the current Israeli government has accelerated the displacement of Palestinians compared to average numbers during the Netanyahu governments. Compared with the yearly average of the Netanyahu governments, the Bennett-Lapid government has promoted 26% more settlement units, issued tenders for 15% more settlement construction, demolished 35% more Palestinian homes in the West Bank, and 59% more Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem. Additionally, settler violence has risen with 45% and 45 more Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces compared with the yearly average of the Netanyahu governments. (PCN 6/23)

Israel’s foreign minister Yair Lapid met with his Türkiye counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Ankara, in a bid to further normalized relations between the 2 countries. (AJ, ALM, HA, MEE, REU 6/23)

24 Democratic senators, led by Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), wrote a letter to the Biden administration, calling on it to “ensure that a comprehensive, impartial, and open investigation” into the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is conducted. The senators also addressed secretary of state Antony Blinken, attorney general Merrick Garland, and FBI director Christopher Wray. (HA, MEE, REU 6/23; AJ, MDW, WAFA 6/24)

President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi told the National Assembly that Suriname would not build an embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, citing budget constraints. Suriname announced plans to open an embassy to Israel in Jerusalem during a visit by its foreign minister Albert Ramdin on 5/30. (AJ, HA 6/24)

UNRWA announced that it had received pledges of $160 million for its general programming, but warned that it still expects a shortfall of $100 million in its core budget for 2022. (WAFA 6/24)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with military escort raided Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus, leading to a confrontation with Palestinians protesting the incursion; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinian farmers with pepper spray east of Hebron. Israeli forces delivered stop-work orders for 1 mosque, 3 houses, and 1 commercial structure in Marda. Israeli forces also forced Palestinian business owners to close their shops in Huwwara, claiming that stones had been thrown at Israeli settlers near the shops. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 4 water wells in Khallet al-Dabe. Israeli forces also demolished 1 commercial structure in ‘Anata. Israeli military said that shots were fired from a car at Israeli soldiers near Nablus; no injuries were reported. 13 Palestinians were arrested, including 10 during late-night raids in Dahariya, Za‘atra, Silwad, and Zeita; 3 were arrested at checkpoints near Bethlehem and Nablus. (TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/2; MEMO, MEMO, PCHR 2/3)

Haaretz reported that Israeli attorney general Avichai Mendelblit authorized establishing an Israeli settlement on the evacuated Evyatar settlement outpost near Beita. Attorney General Mendelblit is leaving office this week. Palestinians have held weekly protests at the site since the outpost was erected in May 2021. The outpost was evacuated in June 2021, but the houses erected remained as the settlers struck a deal with the Israeli government that they could move back if Israel deemed that the land is state-owned. Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz will have to declare the area state-owned, after which there will be a 45-day period to file objections. Several Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the past year while protesting the outpost. In a letter from Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid to Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, Lapid warned that if the Israeli government legalized the Evyatar settlement outpost, it “could have serious diplomatic consequences and damage foreign relations, first and foremost from the United States,” saying that the U.S. has already made this clear to him. Labor and Meretz publicly opposed legalizing the settlement outpost. (AP, HA, IN 2/2; HA, JP, MEE, TOI, TOI, TOI 2/3; HA, HA, HA 2/4; UNOCHA 2/11)

The Shin Bet admitted to having threatened random Palestinians in Israel that it would “settle the score” if they had participated in protests related to the May 2021 uprising in Israel that coincided with Israeli attacks on Gaza and eviction threats against Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah. (HA, MEE 2/3)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Amnesty International’s secretary-general Agnès Callamard in Ramallah, discussing the report Amnesty released on 2/1 that charged Israel with the crime of apartheid. (WAFA 2/2)

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said, at a conference in Tel Aviv, that the Israeli military on 4 occasions had offered assistance to Lebanon. According to Gantz, the offers were made to strengthen the Lebanese army in facing “the strengthening of Hezbollah under Iran’s support.” Israeli military sources later denied that Israel had made such offers and that Israel had only offered humanitarian aid following the explosion in the Beirut port. (HA 2/2; MEMO 2/3)

Israel, Oman, and Saudi Arabia all took part in the International Maritime Exercise 2022, led by the U.S. and with the participation of nearly 60 countries. It was the 1st time that Saudi Arabia and Oman partook in a naval exercise with Israel, which they have no formal relations with. (AJ, ALM 2/2)

The FBI confirmed reporting from the New York Times published on 1/28 that the agency had bought the NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, but claimed to never have used it. The FBI further stated that it had bought the spyware for “product testing and evaluation.” (ALM, AP, HA, REU 2/2; MEMO 2/3)