The Palestine Chronology

Uncoordinated stabbing and alleged stabbing attacks continue in the West Bank and Jerusalem, resulting in the deaths of 3 Palestinians. Two Palestinians open fire on an Israeli bus in Ramot, causing no damage. Israeli police then chase the shooters into the Old City, where they shoot and kill the 2 men after they allegedly attempt to ram their car into a Jewish Israeli pedestrian, causing no serious injuries. A 3d Palestinian is critically injured in the crossfire. The IDF maintains, for a 2d day, the closure of 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Salfit. On the outskirts of the village nr. Salfit, Israeli soldiers open fire on 2 Palestinian youths as they approach an IDF checkpoint, killing 1 and critically injuring the other. An IDF spokesperson says that one of the youths was armed with a knife and intended to attack the soldiers. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 3/9; PCHR 3/10)

Elsewhere in the oPt, Hamas announces that 1 of its fighters died earlier in the day during unspecified training exercises. IDF troops raid a village nr. Jenin, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; there are no serious injuries. They conduct further raids in and around Nablus, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, and Hebron, arresting 18 Palestinians. An Israeli settler stabs and injures a Palestinian nr. Nablus. Late at night, Israeli settlers spray price-tag graffiti on the walls of a Palestinian home in a village nr. Bethlehem. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/9; MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/10; PCHR 3/17)

In response to the string of attacks on 3/8 and after conferring with senior security officials, Israeli PM Netanyahu announces that Israel will complete the construction of the separation wall in the s. Hebron Hills. He also states that his govt. proposes new legislation to deter and punish Palestinians who enter Israel illegally, close Palestinian media outlets responsible for alleged incitement, and deny work permits to the families of Palestinians who commit serious crimes against Israelis. Israeli police immediately arrest 10s of Palestinians in raids across Israel, targeting those who entered the country without proper permits. (HA, JP, TOI 3/9)

The Israeli authorities inform 5 Palestinian food companies that their goods will no longer be permitted to pass through the Beitunia crossing for sale in Jerusalem. Israel last barred West Bank food products from entering East Jerusalem for a brief period in 2010. (TOI 3/13)

In Cairo, French FM Jean-Marc Ayrault says that France will not recognize the State of Palestine if the planned French peace initiative fails, effectively retracting his predecessor’s 1/29 pledge. “There is never anything automatic,” he says, adding that “France will present its initiative to its partners. It will be the first step, there is no prerequisite.” (TOI 3/9; JTA 3/10)

In the West Bank, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops violently disperse Palestinians demonstrating in solidarity with hungerstriking Palestinian prisoner Muhammad al-Qiq, in Ramallah and in 1 nearby village, as well as in 2 areas nr. Bethlehem; 1 Palestinian is injured. They also conduct raids and house searches in 1 village each nr. Salfit and Jenin, and in Nablus, arresting 7 Palestinians; patrol in 6 villages nr. Hebron and 2 nr. Salfit. Israeli forces uproot 100 olive trees nr. Salfit. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops arrest 3 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel nr. Rafah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 7 Palestinians in late-night raids in Shu‘fat refugee camp (r.c.), al-Tur, and Issawiyya. (MNA 2/16; MNA, WAFA 2/17; PCHR 2/18)

French amb. to Israel Patrick Maisonnave meets with an Israeli Foreign Ministry (FM) official and formally presents, for the 1st time, details of the French peace initiative. Hours later, Israeli prime minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu calls the proposal “puzzling,” saying that the French promise to recognize Palestinian statehood should the initiative fail encourages the Palestinians not to take it seriously. (HA, JP, TOI 2/16)

The IDF maintains its closure of Nahalin village for a 4th day. Meanwhile, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against the Israeli occupation and the administrative detention of Palestinian prisoner al-Qiq in 5 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, Jalazun r.c., and outside Ofer Prison), 1 village nr. Qalqilya, and in 4 areas along Gaza’s border; 13 Palestinians are injured. IDF troops conduct house searches and raids in 1 village nr. Qalqilya, as well as Tulkarm and Tulkarm r.c., arresting 2 Palestinian journalists; patrol in 2 villages nr. Qalqilya, 6 nr. Hebron, and 1 each nr. Jenin and Tulkarm. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers nr. al-Bureij r.c., causing no injuries. (AFP, MNA, SAM 2/12; PCHR 2/18)

Israeli PM Netanyahu speaks with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, effectively ending the suspension of peace process–related talks with the EU that Netanyahu ordered on 11/29. The Israeli govt. then confirms that the suspension is over. (HA, JP, TOI, YA 2/12; MNA 2/13)

Following a day of punitive demolitions and clashes in Qalandia refugee camp (r.c.), thousands of Palestinians march in the funeral of the 2 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces the previous day. Later, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops clash with stone-throwers in the camp, injuring 5 Palestinians. Israeli forces demolish 9 residential structures and animal barns nr. Hebron early in the morning, and later clash with Palestinian protesters in the area. Similarly, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian protesters w. of Qalqilya (where similar protests were conducted on 11/13 and 11/15) and outside Beit El settlement nr. Ramallah; at least 15 Palestinians are injured, including 2 journalists. During the day, Israeli forces patrol in 1 village each nr. Salfit and Nablus, and they conduct late-night house searches and raids in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c. as well as nr. Nablus, Hebron, Tulkarm, and Jenin, arresting 13 Palestinians. Israeli settlers assault Palestinians harvesting olives nr. Salfit, driving them off their land but causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians on raids in al-Tur. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces fire at Palestinian fishing boats overnight, injuring 2 fishermen. (MNA, WAFA 11/16; PCHR 11/19)

PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet outlaws the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, citing the group’s “dangerous incitement.” After the announcement, Israeli forces arrest a senior mbr. of the movement during a raid in Umm al-Fahm, and Israeli courts issue orders to shut down 17 organizations and groups that operate on behalf of the movement. (EI, HA, MNA, YA 11/17)

Stabbing and alleged stabbing attacks continue in the West Bank. Israeli soldiers shoot and kill a Palestinian in c. Hebron after he allegedly attempts to stab a soldier. Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian in a supermarket in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc nr. Bethlehem after he stabs and moderately injures an Israeli settler; open fire on 3 Palestinians after they allegedly evade detention while on their way to work in Israel, injuring 1 and detaining 2. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 10/28; PCHR 10/29; PCHR 11/5)

As the Israeli crackdown continues across the oPt, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian protesters in c. Hebron, Aida r.c. and 1 village nr. Bethlehem, and along Gaza’s border nr. al-Bureij r.c., injuring 3 Palestinians (2 seriously). Late at night, the IDF conducts raids and house searches in the Tubas, Hebron, Ramallah, and Jenin areas, arresting 14 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 4. In East Jerusalem, MK Basel Ghattas (Joint List) tours Haram al-Sharif, defying Israeli PM Netanyahu’s order for all MKs to avoid the sanctuary (1st reported on 10/8). Israeli forces raid a hospital in al-Tur for the 2d day in a row; arrest 26 Palestinians on raids and patrols in Silwan, al-Tur, and Issawiyya. Late at night, Israeli forces raid the home of the Palestinian who was killed on 10/8 after allegedly stabbing an Israeli soldier, and they take measurements and photographs in preparation for a possible punitive demolition. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/28; PCHR 10/29; PCHR 11/5)

The Israeli crackdown on the oPt amid the ongoing wave of violence continues. IDF troops clash with stone-throwing Palestinians outside a settlement nr. Ramallah and along Gaza’s border e. of Khan Yunis, injuring 4. Meanwhile, the IDF patrols in 1 village each nr. Jerusalem and Jenin, sparking clashes with stone-throwers (2 Palestinians are injured with live ammunition); conducts raids around Jenin and patrols across the West Bank. Masked assailants assault Palestinian Legislative Council mbr. Mustafa Barghouti in Ramallah, shouting “let the intifada protect you” and causing minor injuries before fleeing the area. The PA then launches an investigation into the attack. Israeli settlers continue assaults on Palestinians and their property, damaging a Palestinian greenhouse nr. Jenin; setting fire to a car in East Jerusalem and leaving price-tag graffiti nr. the scene. A Palestinian family demolishes its own home in Bayt Hanina, responding to the Israeli police’s 4/2015 order giving them until today to destroy the building or accept a fine of NIS 60,000 (around $15,430). Israeli forces arrest 8 Palestinians on raids in the Old City, al-Tur, al-Suwana, Silwan, Shu‘fat, and Issawiyya. In Israel, an Israeli rabbi succumbs to injuries sustained on 11/18/2014 when 2 Palestinians attacked a synagogue in West Jerusalem, bringing the number of Israelis killed in the attack to 6. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 10/24; HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 10/25; PCHR 10/29)

After meeting with PA pres. Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah in Amman, U.S. secy. of state Kerry announces that they and Israeli PM Netanyahu have reached a series of understandings, including an Israeli-Jordanian agreement to install cameras at Haram al-Sharif to broadcast live 24 hours a day. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT, TOI, YA 10/24; HA, JP 10/25)

In the West Bank, IDF troops clash with Palestinians in Aida r.c. after the funeral of a Palestinian boy killed by the IDF on 10/5, injuring 10. In protest of the killing, Palestinian businesses and schools in Bethlehem observe a general strike. IDF troops also raid the Nablus-area homes of the 5 Palestinians suspected in the 10/1 shooting that killed 2 settlers, taking pictures and threatening punitive demolitions. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian stone-throwers in the Jenin, Ramallah, and Bethlehem areas, injuring at least 44 Palestinians and 1 Israeli soldier. Nr. Hebron, Israeli forces close off the main entrance to a village following overnight clashes, and they arrest 18 Palestinians during raids, house searches, and patrols around the city. Israeli settlers continue retaliatory attacks against Palestinians and their property throughout the West Bank, injuring 2 Palestinians in the Hebron area and clashing with Palestinians who had organized a local patrol to ward off settler attacks nr. Nablus (there are no serious injuries). In Israel, hundreds of Palestinians gather in Jaffa to protest the recent escalation of violence in the oPt; Israeli police attempt to disperse the crowd after some of the protesters start throwing stones and blocking traffic, sparking minor clashes (6 police are injured and 6 Palestinians are arrested). (EI, HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/6; HA, MNA 10/7; PCHR 10/8)

Israeli forces punitively demolish 2 Palestinian homes in the Jabal Mukabir neighborhood of East Jerusalem. First, they demolish the home of 1 of the 2 Palestinians who attacked a West Jerusalem synagogue on 11/18/2014, and they later demolish the nearby home of the Palestinian who rammed an excavator into a bus on 8/4/2014, killing 1 Israeli and injuring others. Similarly in Silwan, they seal a room in the residence of the Palestinian who was shot and killed on 10/30/2014 after allegedly attempting to assassinate Yehuda Glick, the leader of the messianic Temple Mount movement. (MNA, WAFA 10/6; PCHR 10/8)

While visiting a settlement, Israeli PM Netanyahu says that the IDF will install cameras along roads across the West Bank to provide evidence of future Palestinian attacks. Netanyahu and DM Ya’alon also meet with 18 settler leaders and reportedly announce that the govt. will not be authorizing new settlement construction in response to the recent violence, explaining that increased pressure from the U.S. and EU would likely endanger settlers more than a temporary construction freeze. (JP, TOI 10/6; JP, TOI 10/7)

During clashes sparked by a raid in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiyya, Israeli forces shoot a 13-year-old Palestinian in the head with a rubber-coated bullet, seriously injuring him and arresting 7 Palestinians. Enforcing PM Netanyahu’s pledge to crack down on stone-throwers, Israeli forces arrest at least 20 Palestinians during night raids in Issawiyya, Silwan, and Jabal Mukabir. Throughout several other East Jerusalem neighborhoods, Israeli forces clash with Palestinians throwing stones and protesting the recent access restrictions at Haram al-Sharif, injuring several Palestinians and arresting 11. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians protesting restrictions in East Jerusalem and at Haram al-Sharif, injuring a 14-year-old Palestinian with live ammunition nr. Qalqilya. They also patrol in Jenin and Jenin r.c., arresting 3 Palestinians and sparking clashes with stone-throwing youths (another Palestinian is seriously injured, then arrested). Israeli forces patrol during the day around Hebron and Qalqilya. Nr. Nablus, an Israeli settler opens fire on a Palestinian vehicle, causing no injuries. Israeli settlers also clog a Palestinian water well nr. Bethlehem with dirt and rocks to prevent its use. For a 2d day, unknown persons launch a rocket from Gaza toward Israel, and it lands short of the border fence. (MNA, WAFA 9/19; JP, MNA, WAFA 9/20; PCHR, WAFA 10/1)

PM Netanyahu’s office releases a statement saying that the Israeli police are working on a new proposal to change their rules of engagement in East Jerusalem and to increase penalties on those convicted of throwing stones or Molotov cocktails. (TOI 9/19; JP, YA 9/20)

In response to a day of violence in East Jerusalem and a fatal car crash in Sur al-Bahir, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announces that he is planning to fast-track a bill that would set mandatory minimum sentences for stone-throwing. Leaders of opposition parties—Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) and Tzipi Livni (Zionist Union)—say they support increasing deterrents to stone-throwing. Meanwhile, the violence in East Jerusalem continues with clashes at Haram al-Sharif and in Issawiyya, Ras al-Amud, and Shu‘fat r.c.; 3 Palestinians and 1 Israeli police officer are seriously injured, and 10 Palestinians are arrested. In the morning, around 38 right-wing Jewish activists tour the sanctuary. Meanwhile, Israeli forces seize an ambulance transporting a Palestinian injured in clashes with Israeli forces in Issawiyya. They then arrest the individual and redirect the ambulance to a different hospital. (HA, JP, TOI 9/14; TOI 9/15; PCHR 9/17)

On Gaza’s s. and n. borders, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians attempting to cross the border for work. Also, Israeli authorities close the Erez and Kerem Shalom border crossings, marking Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. In the West Bank, an Israeli settler assaults a Palestinian child in Hebron, causing minor injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently disperse Palestinians gathering nr. Tulkarm to protest the recent Israeli access restrictions at Haram al-Sharif, seriously injuring 1 Palestinian. IDF troops conduct house searches and raids nr. Hebron and Jenin, arresting 1 Palestinian and briefly detaining 3. (JP, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA, YA 9/14; PCHR 9/17)

Off the n. Gaza coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently disperse around 300 Israeli settlers in the Beit El settlement protesting the High Court’s 7/26 injunction on building in the settlement and its order for 2 residential buildings to be demolished by 7/30; 2 settlers are arrested. The settlers throw stones at empty Palestinian vehicles in the area. A separate group of over 200 Israeli settlers reoccupies the Sa-Nur settlement outpost nr. Jenin that was evacuated in 2005, calling for the govt. to approve the return of settlers to the site. Overnight in East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish 2 Palestinian stores, 2 warehouses, and 3 residences in Silwan; assault and arrest 2 Palestinians during a raid in Ras al-Amud. Israeli settlers assault an elderly Palestinian in Ras al-Amud, lightly injuring her. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 7/28; HA, PCHR 7/30)

Israeli PM Netanyahu says that his govt. is taking “legal action” against the High Court’s 7/26 demolition order for the 2 residences in the Beit El settlement. His comments follow 2 days of minor clashes between settlers and Israeli troops in and around Beit El. (HA, JP, TOI 7/28)

Netanyahu meets with Cypriot pres. Anastasiades in Cyprus and, according to PA sources, Anastasiades reportedly outlines a new European and Cypriot initiative to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations . The PA sources say that Anastasiades discussed the initiative with PA pres. Abbas on 7/27, and it includes an invitation for Netanyahu and Abbas to separately address EU leaders in Brussels at a future summit. (JP 7/27; JP, MNA, REU, TOI 7/28)

The U.S. Parole Commission announces that imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard’s parole has been approved and that he will be released from prison on 11/21, having completed a 30-year sentence after being convicted of passing military intelligence to Israel in 1985. Pollard will be required to stay in the U.S. for 5 years after his release. Secy. of State Kerry reiterates that Pollard’s release is not connected to the tension surrounding the nuclear deal reached by the P5+1 and Iran on 7/14. (EI, HA, MNA 7/28; HA 7/29)

Off the coast of Gaza nr. Dayr al-Balah, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian woman attempting to cross into Israel with a rifle nr. Qalqilya. IDF troops patrol in a village nr. Hebron, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths; 2 of the Palestinians are arrested. The IDF conducts late-night house searches and raids in Hebron, 1 village and al-Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, and 1 village each nr. Jericho, Qalqilya, Jenin, and Nablus, arresting 7 Palestinians and confiscating property; patrols during the day in 2 more villages nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raid the Jabal Mukabir homes belonging to the family mbrs. of the 2 Palestinian men who attacked a West Jerusalem synagogue on 11/18/2014. They take pictures and make notes of the contents of the homes (they will seal 1 home with cement on 7/1). (JP, MNA 6/28; PCHR 7/2)

Chair of the consultative comm. for reforming the consensus govt., al-Ahmad, canceled his 6/29 trip to Gaza reportedly due to Hamas’s negative response. (MNA 6/28; JP 6/29)

Israeli MK Ghattas (Joint List) sends a statement to PM Netanyahu and DM Ya’alon calling for them to keep Israeli forces away from the Freedom Flotilla III. As the flotilla makes its way from Greece to Gaza, Netanyahu’s office releases a letter in which he told the activists, “Perhaps you meant to set sail for a place not far from here—Syria. There the Asad regime is slaughtering its own people every day with the support of the murderous regime in Iran.” (JP, MNA, YA 6/28; MEMO 6/29)

Israel’s FM dir.-gen. Dore Gold meets with Egyptian officials in Cairo to discuss ways to relaunch peace negotiations with the Palestinians. It is the 1st visit to Cairo of a high-ranking Israeli official since 2011. (JP, YA 6/28)

In Gaza, Egyptian authorities close the Rafah border crossing after keeping it open since 6/13. IDF troops on the border e. of Khan Yunis open fire on 3 Palestinians nr. the border fence, injuring 1. In the West Bank, a Palestinian man shoots and wounds 2 Israelis from Lydda who are traveling nr. an Israeli settlement outside Ramallah; 1 of the Israelis succumbs to his injuries later in the day. (The IDF will arrest 5 Palestinians allegedly responsible for the shooting attack on 7/15, including 3 mbrs. of Fatah’s military wing.) Later, the IDF conducts a violent raid in a village nr. Ramallah, destroying personal property, detaining several Palestinians, and confiscating recording equipment. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against the Israeli occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih) and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; 3 Palestinians are injured. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin and 2 each nr. Ramallah and Jericho. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian-owned vehicles nr. the Beit El settlement, breaking 1 windshield. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT 6/19; MNA, NYT 6/20; PCHR 6/25; NYT 7/15)

Cypriot pres. Anastasiades calls PA pres. Abbas to discuss the possibility of Abbas addressing an upcoming EU meeting in Brussels in an effort to restart the peace negotiations with Israel. Anastasiades discussed a similar possibility with Israeli PM Netanyahu on 6/15. (HA 6/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces uproot olive trees and demolish a car wash on about 20 dunams (around 5 acres) of Palestinian land nr. Bethlehem; confiscate grocery stalls along bypass road Route 60. IDF troops conduct raids and house searches in Jenin, Qalqilya, and 1 village nearby, and 1 village each nr. Ramallah and Bethlehem, arresting 8 Palestinians and assaulting 1; patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho and 1 nr. Hebron. In n. Israel, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home in Kafr Kanna claiming that it was built without a permit. Palestinians in the village recently rebuilt the home after Israeli forces demolished it in 4/2015. (HA, MNA, REU, WAFA 6/15; PCHR 6/18)

Hebron mayor Dawud al-Zaatari announces that Israel’s Coordinator for Govt. Activities in the Territories (COGAT) office has approved the reopening of around 70 Palestinian shops in c. Hebron on 6/19. The IDF closed over 500 Palestinian shops in Hebron at the beginning of the 2d intifada in 2000. Meanwhile, the Knesset votes to extend for another year a law that allows the govt. to withhold citizenship or residency from Palestinians from the oPt who are married to Palestinian citizens of Israel (PCI). Originally passed in 2003, its authority has been extended every year since. (AFP 6/15; HA 6/17)

UNRWA comm.-gen. Pierre Krähenbühl reiterates that the agency is operating with a $101 m. deficit for core programs, and says that it might be forced to suspend all activities by 9/2015 unless donors give more money. UNRWA’s operating costs run at around $35 m. per mo. (MNA, UNRWA 6/15)

Cypriot pres. Nicos Anastasiades and Israeli PM Netanyahu meet in Israel and discuss the possibility of Netanyahu addressing the EU at an upcoming meeting in Brussels. The news of Anastasiades’s proposal to invite Netanyahu to Brussels will break on 6/29. (HA 6/19)

An Israeli delegation headed by National Security Adviser Yossi Cohen arrives in Washington, for talks with U.S. officials on the P5+1’s ongoing negotiations with Iran ahead of the 6/30 final agreement deadline. According to the Israeli official who announced the trip on 6/11, it is part of the effort to improve U.S.-Israeli communication surrounding the deal. (HA 6/11; JP 6/16)

In Gaza, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion along the border fence nr. Khan Yunis to level lands and perform “routine maintenance,” according to the IDF. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids and house searches in Hebron, Jenin, and 1 village nr. Qalqilya, arresting 3 Palestinians and issuing an arrest summons to another; patrols in 2 villages nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish 3 unlicensed Palestinian-owned structures late at night in a village nr. the city. (WAFA 6/9; JP 6/10; PCHR 6/11)

At the annual Herzliya Conference, Israeli PM Netanyahu calls on the Palestinians to return to peace negotiations with Israel “without preconditions,” and he says that he will not require them to recognize Israel as a Jewish state as a precondition, though he would require it in a final deal. (JP, REU, TOI 6/9)

Senior Hamas officials confirm a recent meeting with Egyptian intelligence officers to discuss their poor relations. Hamas reportedly pushed for Egypt to reopen the Rafah border crossing and the Egyptians pushed for several undisclosed “confidence-building” measures, some of which Hamas agreed to. (HA 6/10)

EU officials confirm that the bloc is preparing new guidelines requiring Israel to label produce made in its West Bank settlements if it is to be exported to Europe. (JP, TOI 6/9; MNA 6/10)

In the West Bank, IDF troops raid Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah and arrest 1 Palestinian, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths. The IDF also conducts late-night raids and house searches in Balata r.c. and 1 village nr. Nablus, Jenin, and 2 villages nr. Bethlehem, arresting 9 Palestinians, including 1 journalist; patrols in 1 village nr. Hebron. Israeli settlers throw stones and set fire to a Palestinian home in c. Hebron, causing damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct raids in Ras al-Amud and al-Tur, arresting 5 Palestinians. (WAFA 5/31; PCHR 6/4)

In a Washington Post interview, PA PM Hamdallah says the Palestinians have “received assurances” from the U.S. that it will “resume negotiations” between Israel and the Palestinians once the P5+1 and Iran reach a final nuclear agreement. He adds that the Palestinians are interested in a “new framework” for negotiations, including talks sponsored by the U.S., EU, and UN. (WP 5/31; JP, TOI 6/1)

The Knesset’s Ministerial Comm. for Legislation unanimously approves an amendment to the penal code allowing convicted stone-throwers to be sentenced to 10–20 years in prison and reducing the govt.’s burden of proof for obtaining such convictions (the Knesset will pass it into law on 7/20). (HA 5/31; MNA 6/1)

German FM Frank-Walter Steinmeier meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu, Pres. Reuven Rivlin, and other officials in Israel. Israeli Dep. FM Tzipi Hotovely tells Steinmeier that Israel expects Germany to lead the fight against labeling of settlement produce in the EU. (TOI 5/29; JP 5/31)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man in al-Tur after he drives his car into a crowd, injuring 2 border police guards. Israeli forces demolish a 3-story building in Ras al-Amud claiming it was built without a license. In the West Bank, Israeli forces close the entrance to a village nr. Nablus after a Palestinian throws a Molotov cocktail at a settler’s car. The IDF also conducts late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jenin, and Nablus, and in Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, arresting 14 Palestinians; patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah during the day. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 5/20; MNA, PCHR, WAFA 5/21; PCHR 5/28)

Following public criticism and consultation with DM Moshe Ya’alon, Israeli PM Netanyahu orders the suspension of the new 3-mo. pilot project restricting Palestinian travel, initiated on 5/19. Ya’alon says he will continue his efforts to reduce the number of Palestinians entering Israel illegally. (HA, MNA, NYT, TOI, YA 5/20) 

EU foreign policy chief Mogherini meets with Netanyahu in Israel, who says he is still committed to the 2-state solution and he proposes a new round of peace negotiations with the Palestinians with the specific goal of establishing borders for Israel’s West Bank settlement blocs (the news of his proposal will not break until 5/26). Also, Mogherini reportedly tells Netanyahu that the European campaign calling for labeling of products from Israeli settlements is unstoppable. The PM’s office will deny that they discussed the labeling campaign when the news breaks on 6/2. Mogherini also meets with PA pres. Abbas and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat in Ramallah. (HA, JP, YA 5/20; WAFA 5/21; HA, REU, TOI 5/26; HA 6/2)

Norwegian FM Børge Brende meets with Netanyahu in Jerusalem and tells him that international pressure on Israel regarding its treatment of the Palestinians will likely resume after the P5+1 (the 5 permanent mbrs. of the UN Security Council plus Germany) reach a comprehensive agreement with Iran by their 6/30 deadline. (LF 5/19; EI, HA, 5/20; HA, YA 5/21)

In n. Gaza, a mbr. of Hamas’s armed wing, Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades (IQB), dies in a tunnel collapse nr. Bayt Lahiya. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and raids in and around Hebron, al-‘Arub r.c., 2 villages nr. Jenin, 1 nr. Bethlehem, and al-Fara‘a r. c. near Tubas, arresting 15 Palestinians and issuing an arrest summons to 1. Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian agricultural lands nr. Hebron, destroying 250 olive trees. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority security forces (PASF) conduct raids in and around Hebron, Nablus, Bethlehem, and Tubas, arresting 4 Palestinians affiliated with Hamas and issuing arrest summons to 3 others. In East Jerusalem, an Israeli police officer assaults a Palestinian tour guide after an argument at Haram al-Sharif. Late at night, Israeli forces demolish 3 Palestinian-owned stores and a home under construction in Silwan. (MNA 5/18; JP 5/19; PCHR 5/21)

The Israeli PM’s office confirms that Dep. PM Silvan Shalom has been appointed to oversee any resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians. Former justice min. Tzipi Livni (Zionist Union) filled this role in the previous govt. (AFP, HA, JP, TOI 5/18; AFP 5/19)

PA pres. Mahmoud Abbas’s spokesperson calls PM Netanyahu’s 5/17 remarks about Jerusalem a clear violation of UN res. and states that there will be no peace in the Middle East unless the Palestinians have a capital in East Jerusalem. (HA, TOI 5/18)

After a meeting of the European Union (EU) FMs in Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says that the EU is “ready and willing” to play a major role in a new round of peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians. Mogherini will be traveling to the region to meet with Netanyahu and Abbas on 5/20–21. (JP, REU 5/18; TOI 5/19; HA 6/7)

In Gaza, Hamas police assault a Palestinian journalist, lightly injuring him. IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Jabaliya open fire on Palestinian farmers on 2 occasions, causing no injuries or damage. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and raids in 1 village each nr. Tulkarm, Jenin, and Bethlehem, arresting 6 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 4; patrols in 2 villages each nr. Hebron and Tulkarm. Israeli settlers uproot around 800 olive trees in a village nr. Hebron. An Israeli settler assaults a Palestinian in c. Hebron, causing severe bleeding. In East Jerusalem, over 160 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif as a part of Jerusalem Day celebrations. Dozens of Palestinian youths throw stones and bottles at thousands of Israelis parading through the Old City; 2 policemen and 19 Palestinians are injured, and at least 5 Palestinians are arrested. Separately, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian at Haram al-Sharif. They also conduct house searches and raids in Silwan, al-Tur, Ras al-Amud, and Sur al-Bahir, arresting 7 Palestinians. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT, WAFA,YA5/17;MNA 5/18; JP5/19; PCHR 5/21)

At a Jerusalem Day ceremony, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says that his govt. will keep building in East Jerusalem and pledges to never let the city be divided. (YA 5/17)

In Gaza, IDF troops conduct a limited incursion e. of Khan Yunis to level land. Later, troops on the border e. of Khuza‘a open fire on agricultural land, causing no damage. Off the coast nr. Gaza City, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces deliver a demolition notice and a stop-work order to 2 Palestinian homes in a village nr. Hebron. Late at night, the IDF conducts house searches and raids in al-Bireh, Hebron, and a village nr. Jenin, issuing arrest summons to 4 Palestinians and seizing NIS 2,500 ($646), as well as various personal effects. In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian driver rams a car into 2 Israelis nr. the Old City, killing 1. (The Palestinian man will be arrested on 4/16.) In c. Israel, Israeli forces demolish 5 Palestinian apartments overnight in villages nr. Tel Aviv. (MNA, WAFA 4/15; AFP, HA, JP, MNA, PCHR, TOI, YA 4/16; PCHR 4/23)

In response to the recent demolitions of Palestinian property in Israel on 4/13, 4/14, and today, Israeli PM Netanyahu attempts to set up a meeting with Joint List chair Odeh. The Arab High Follow-Up Comm. calls for Palestinian citizens of Israel to conduct a general strike on 4/28. Meanwhile, Israel’s Supreme Court upholds the 7/2011 Anti-Boycott Law, which allows for sanctions to be placed against individuals or organizations that call for boycotts against Israel. (Adalah, JP 4/15; HA, TOI, YA 4/16; HA 4/17)

In the West Bank, an Israeli man from Beersheba goes missing nr. Hebron. IDF troops conduct a number of searches in surrounding villages and set up numerous mobile checkpoints in an effort to find the man and his alleged kidnappers. The man is found alive 10 hours later nr. Hebron, having staged the kidnapping for “romantic purposes.” Nr. Salfit, Israeli forces demolish 120 olive trees. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in 2 villages nr. Jenin, arresting 1; patrols in 6 villages nr. Hebron, 2 nr. Ramallah, and 1 nr. Qalqilya. They also arrest Palestine Legislative Council (PLC) member and PFLP activist Khalida Jarrar in al-Bireh nr. Ramallah for allegedly violating restrictions on her movement. (She will be ordered to serve 6 mos. administrative detention on 4/5) A Palestinian man stabs an Israeli soldier nr. Nablus after IDF troops detain him and 5 other Palestinians attempting to cross over the separation wall. Israeli settlers throw stones at 2 Palestinian houses in a village nr. Nablus, then Israeli troops arrive and arrest the 2 homeowners. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 4/2; JP, MNA 4/3; EI, MNA 4/5; HA 4/6; PCHR 4/9)

On a visit to Hebron, PA PM Hamdallah says that Israel has still not transferred the recently unfrozen tax revenues to the PA as the Israeli PM’s office announced it would on 3/27. PA Pres. Abbas threatens to lodge a complaint with the ICC if the Israeli govt. does not transfer the funds. (MNA 4/2; TOI 4/3)

Israel’s Supreme Court rules in favor of Palestinian petitioners hoping to avert an Israeli plan to extend the separation wall through their land nr. Jerusalem. The plan, which has been contested since the IDF ordered it in 2006, would have expropriated of 3,000 dunams of private Palestinian and Vaticanowned land. (AP, MNA, TOI, YA 4/2)

Israeli PM Netanyahu and Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom authorize a $500 m. deal between the Delek Group and Noble Energy (energy companies in control of Israel’s offshore Tamar natural gas field) and 2 Jordanian companies that would ship 1.87 b. m3 of natural gas to Jordan over the next 15 years. (TOI 4/3)

In Lausanne, Switzerland, reps. of the P5+1 and Iran extend their 3/31 deadline, then agree on “key parameters” for a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in their negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. They will continue to negotiate on technical details ahead of their 6/30 deadline for a JCPOA. Pres. Obama says he will begin talks with congressional leaders to find a way for Congress to play a constructive oversight role in the implementation of the agreement. (AFP, BB, GDN, HA, NYT, POL 4/2; HA, TOI, YA 4/3)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man dies from injuries sustained during clashes with IDF troops in Jalazun r.c. on 3/18. Another Palestinian succumbs to injuries sustained when he fell off the separation wall nr. Jerusalem last week while trying to cross into Israel for work. IDF troops raid a school nr. Ramallah, blocking entrances and exits for 2 hours; patrol in 3 villages nr. Hebron, 1 nr. Tulkarm, and Jenin. They also conduct raids and house searches in al-‘Arub r.c. and 1 village nr. Hebron, as well as 2 villages nr. Jenin, arresting 5 Palestinians. Off the coast of Gaza nr. Gaza City, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing damage but no injuries. In East Jerusalem, 78 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif. Meanwhile,Israeli forces raid Shu‘fat r.c. to detain several youths, sparking clashes with local residents and injuring 3 Palestinians; conduct raids in the Old City, arresting 3 Palestinians. (JP, MNA, REU, TOI, WAFA 3/25; MNA, PCHR 3/26; PCHR 4/2)

Israeli pres. Reuven Rivlin meets with PM Netanyahu and asks him to form the next govt., after the CEC delivers Rivlin the official results from the 3/17 election. The Israeli govt. has temporarily frozen the construction of 1,500 settler residences in Har Homa, East Jerusalem. The PM’s office denies a report that the freeze was motivated by U.S. diplomatic concerns. (AFP, HA, JP, TOI, YA 3/25; TOI 3/26)

Hours before leaving office, IDF Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon signs orders that will apply Israel’s penal code to Palestinians in the West Bank, except for a key amendment exempting people from criminal charges if they take action “urgently required to ward off someone who breaks into his home, business or farm.” The key amendment would have provided additional protections for Palestinians in confrontations with Israeli settlers. (HA 3/26)

A PA unity govt. delegation led by PM Hamdallah arrives in Gaza for a planned 3-day visit. Hamdallah meets with local Fatah officials as well as senior Hamas officials to discuss the reconstruction of Gaza and national reconciliation. They agree to form a joint comm. to cooperate on several issues relating to Gaza. (AFP, JP, MNA, WAFA 3/25)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Dayr al-Balah and Jabaliya fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers and agricultural areas nr. the border fence, causing damage. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and raids in and around Qalqilya, 2 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 village nr. Jenin, and Tulkarm, arresting 4 Palestinians; patrols in 1 village each nr. Hebron, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, and Salfit. IDF troops arrest 3 Palestinians at a checkpoint nr. Jerusalem and 2 more at an entrance to the Gush Etzion settlement bloc. Israeli forces deliver stop-work orders to Palestinians in 1 village each nr. Hebron and Tubas; demolish a well, a wall, and 10 olive trees in a village nr. Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian woman as she is exiting Haram al-Sharif and 6 youth playing in the sanctuary. They also conduct house searches and raids in al-Jdayra, arresting 4 youth and sparking light clashes; arrest 2 Palestinian youths in Bayt Hanina. Israeli authorities issue demolition orders for 5 Palestinian-owned buildings in Silwan. (MNA, WAFA 3/23; MNA 3/24; PCHR 3/26)

Swiss amb. to the PA Paul Garnier visits Gaza to discuss a possible long-term cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. UN Special Coordinator Serry conducted similar meetings in Gaza on 3/2. (MNA 3/23; ALM 4/14)

Fearing that the continued tax revenue freeze could spark an uprising in the West Bank, Senior IDF officers say that the IDF has issued 10,000 permits for Palestinian laborers in the West Bank and has directed its troops to engage in clashes with Palestinian protesters less frequently. (TOI 3/23; YA 3/24)

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough clarifies the Obama admin.’s response to Israeli PM Netanyahu’s campaign rhetoric and subsequent attempts to defend himself from international criticism in a speech at the annual J Street conference. “After the election,” McDonough says, “the PM said that he had not changed his position, but for many in Israel and in the international community, such contradictory comments call into question his commitment to a 2-state solution, as did his suggestion that the construction of settlements has a strategic purpose of dividing Palestinian communities and his claim that conditions in the larger Middle East must be more stable before a Palestinian state can be established.” (YA 3/23; HA, TOI 3/24)

In Geneva, the UNHRC holds its scheduled debate on Israeli violations of Palestinian rights in the oPt. Israel is absent, pursuant to its longtime boycott of the council, but so is the U.S. Israel’s FM denies a Reuters report claiming that the U.S. absence stems from the Obama admin.’s recently announced reassessment of its policy on defending Israel in international institutions. Later, U.S. amb to the UNHRC Keith Harper confirms that the U.S. has joined the Israeli boycott due to the UNHRC’s focus on Israel. (JP, REU, TOI 3/23; JP 3/24)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis fire warning shots at 3 Palestinians approaching the border fence, moderately injuring each of them; e. of Jabaliya fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers nr. the border fence, causing no injuries. Off the coast nr. Rafah, Egyptian naval forces detain 9 Palestinian fishermen. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 6 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, Silwad, Jalazun r.c., and outside Ofer Prison), and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; 7 are injured. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in Hebron and 1 village nr. Ramallah, arresting 1 Palestinian and issuing summons to another; patrols in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, in and around Qalqilya, 2 villages nr. Tulkarm, and 1 nr. Jenin. The PASF clashes with stonethrowing Palestinians in Balata r.c. nr. Nablus; 2 young boys are injured in the crossfire. (MNA 3/20, 3/21; PCHR 3/26; MEE 5/6)

UN Secy.-Gen. Ban Ki-moon calls Israeli PM Netanyahu and urges him to renew his commitment to the 2-state solution. Meanwhile, the UN Commission on the Status of Women approves a res. condemning Israel for the grave situation of Palestinian women under occupation. (MNA, YA 3/20; AP, MNA, TOI 3/21)

The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) submits a formal res. to FIFA, the body governing international soccer, calling for the Israel Football Association (IFA) to be suspended until Palestinian players and coaches are allowed to move freely, facilities can be developed without obstruction, Israeli settler soccer clubs are banned from playing in IFA competitions, and the IFA takes “firm action” to eliminate racism in its leagues. The res. is scheduled for a vote at the annual FIFA conference on 5/29. (REU 3/31)

On the 5th day of bilateral nuclear negotiations between reps. of the U.S. and Iran in Lausanne, Switzerland, Iran’s delegation is forced to return to Tehran 2 days early after Pres. Hassan Rouhani’s mother dies. The negotiations will resume on 3/26. Meanwhile, an IAEA report on Iran’s compliance with the JPOA is leaked to the press. It concludes that Iran is upholding its commitments, including capping uranium enrichment at 5% and holding any “further advances” at its enrichment facilities and the Arak heavy water reactor. Separately, 367 mbrs. of the U.S. House of Representatives send a letter to Pres. Obama calling for congressional oversight on any agreement between the P5+1 and Iran to review the proposed sanctions relief. The letter will be released on 3/23. (AP, GDN, REU, TOI 3/20; YA 3/23)

In Gaza, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion nr. Rafah to level land. Off the coast nr. Gaza City, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing damage to 2 boats. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uproot 65 olive trees outside Turmus ‘Ayya village nr. Ramallah; perform religious rites at a site nr. Nablus, sparking clashes with local Palestinians; enter Isaac’s Hall in al-Ibrahimi Mosque in c. Hebron. After suspected Palestinian assailants set fire to an Israeli settler’s trailer nr. Nablus, the IDF imposes a curfew on a nearby Palestinian village and conducts raids and house searches in the area, sparking light clashes with residents. The IDF also conducts house searches in and around Hebron and Tulkarm, arresting 4 Palestinians; patrols in 2 villages each nr. Qalqilya and Jenin. IDF troops set up roadblocks and raid a school in a village nr. Jenin, sparking clashes with residents. Israeli forces destroy 300 olive trees and demolish 600 m of walls nr. Nablus; confiscate 2 water tanks nr. Tubas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct raids in Anabta village and in al-Tur, assaulting 1 Palestinian and arresting 2; arrest 4 Palestinian women at an entrance to Haram al-Sharif. In s. Israel, Israeli forces demolish several Palestinian bedouins’ homes in 3 villages in the Negev, and they surround a home in a 4th village, preparing to demolish it. (AFP, MNA, WAFA 3/19; AFP, MNA 3/20; PCHR 3/26)

In an interview with NBC, Israeli PM Netanyahu rolls back his 3/16 assertion that he will block the creation of a Palestinian state if chosen for a 3d consecutive term as PM. Later, U.S. Pres. Obama calls Netanyahu to officially congratulate him for his 3/17 victory, but also to discuss his controversial comments. Obama reportedly says that the U.S. will be reassessing its positions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process in light of the PM’s new position. (AFP, HA, JP, NBC, REU, TOI 3/19; AFP, TOI, YA 3/20)

On the 4th day of bilateral negotiations between the U.S. and Iran in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Wall Street Journal reports that the P5+1 is refusing to compromise on its demand for staggered sanctions relief. (AP, JP, WSJ 3/19; AFP 3/20)

In the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Comm., chair Corker (R-TN) and ranking mbr. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) agree to delay a comm. vote on the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 until after the P5+1 and Iran’s deadline for reaching a political accord at the end of 3/2015. They schedule a vote for 4/14

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts a house search and raid in Jericho, arresting 2 Palestinians; patrols in Nablus, al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, and 1 village nr. Jenin. Israeli settlers park a group of mobile homes on Palestinian land nr. Nablus, establishing a new settlement outpost. Elsewhere, Palestinians in a village nr. Ramallah say that the Israeli authorities have informed them that they are planning on opening a major road e. of the city, having kept it closed since 2001 (Israeli forces will open the road on 5/25). Israeli authorities also inform farmers nr. Salfit that they plan to demolish 20 olive trees in the area. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces and settlers surround and attempt to evacuate a Palestinian-rented home in the Old City, but the tenants’ lawyer secures a stay on a 3/15 eviction order until 5/2015; small clashes break out. Separately, Israeli forces conduct house searches and raids in Issawiyya and Ras al-Amud, arresting 7 Palestinians. (HA, MNA, WAFA 3/16; PCHR 3/19; EI 3/25)

Israeli PM Netanyahu says that if he is chosen to serve a 3d consecutive term as PM, there will be no Palestinian state, responding to the confusion on 3/8 when his office refuted a Likud Party statement that said he was disavowing his 2009 Bar Ilan speech, in which he 1st came out in favor of the 2-state solution. (AFP, HA, MNA, TOI, YA 3/16)

Palestinian amb. to Iraq Ahmad Aqil says that the Iraqi Higher Judicial Council has issued a res. applying equal status as Iraqi citizens to Palestinian refugees in Iraq—except for full Iraqi nationality. While it is consistent with existing law protecting the rights of Palestinian refugees that passed under Saddam Hussein, those laws were not thoroughly enforced after his overthrow and around 22,000 Palestinians left Iraq. (MNA 3/16)

Iranian FM Zarif and U.S. Secy. of State Kerry, along with other reps. of Iran and the U.S., meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, for a week of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. Zarif travels to Brussels to meet with envoys from several EU mbr. states as well as EU foreign policy chief Mogherini. (AFP, JP, TOI 3/16)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers approaching the border fence, causing damage but no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and raids in and around Jenin, 4 villages nr. Ramallah, 2 villages and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron, and 1 village each nr. Bethlehem, Nablus, and Salfit, arresting 20 Palestinians; patrols in 2 villages each nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm, and 1 nr. Hebron. IDF troops violently disperse dozens of Palestinian activists demonstrating in a village nr. Nablus and in Jalazun r.c., lightly injuring several and arresting 2. They also assault a Palestinian man at a checkpoint nr. Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police assault a Palestinian girl who shouts at right-wing Jewish activists in Haram al-Sharif, and arrest 4 other women at the entrance to the sanctuary. The Israeli authorities also deny 8 busloads of Palestinians from the West Bank access to Haram al-Sharif. Separately, Israeli forces deliver an eviction notice to a Palestinian-rented home in the Old City; conduct raids and house searches in Issawiyya and the Old City, arresting 6 Palestinians. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/15; MNA, WAFA 3/16; PCHR 3/19)

Israeli PM Netanyahu addresses around 25,000 supporters at a campaign rally in Tel Aviv. He promises not to make any territorial concessions to the Palestinians if he is chosen for a 3d consecutive term as PM after the 3/17 election. (HA 3/15; HA, MNA 3/16)

In Gaza, IDF troops e. of Dayr al-Balah fire warning shots at farmers approaching the border fence, causing no injuries or damage. In the West Bank, IDF troops on a patrol clash with stone-throwing Palestinians nr. Bethlehem, causing several to suffer from tear gas inhalation. They also arrest a Palestinian during a patrol in c. Hebron, a Palestinian with a mental disability outside Jenin, and a Palestinian woman at a checkpoint nr. Jenin. Israeli forces install iron gates at a major checkpoint nr. Bethlehem; demolish a water well nr. Hebron.Israeli settlers uproot 100 olive saplings in Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces detain 4 Palestinian women as they are leaving Haram al-Sharif. An Israeli settlement security guard hits a Palestinian girl with his car in Silwan, moderately injuring her. (MNA, WAFA 2/25; MNA, PCHR 2/26)

For the 2d time in a week, the state-owned IEC cuts electricity to the Nablus and Jenin districts of the West Bank for 1 hour, due to the Palestinians’ unpaid debts. The IEC warns that, without payment, it will continue with these cuts. (HA, MNA, WAFA 2/25; WAFA 2/26)

Senior PA official Shaath tells the Turkish Anadolu Agency that the PA recently requested that the EU reactivate their revolving fund agreement and provide loans equal to the amount of funds that Israel is freezing in transfers of tax revenues. They signed the agreement in 1995 and activated it twice before, in 1995 and from 1998 to 2001. (MEMO 2/25)

The EU and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announce the completion of the 1st of 4 components of a €10 m. desalinization project—18 km of pipeline— that is set to provide potable water to over 75,000 people in Gaza. (EU press release, WAFA 2/25)

Israeli PM Netanyahu says that he still intends to address the U.S. Congress on 3/3, despite increasingly urgent protests from the Obama admin. (AFP, AM, HA, TOI, YA 2/25)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of al-Maghazi fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers nr. the border fence, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and raids targeting Hamas in Nur Shams r.c. and Tulkarm r.c., arresting 7 Palestinians; also conducts house searches and raids in and around Nablus, in Balata r.c., and Hebron, arresting 6 Palestinians, including a PA security officer; patrols in and around Jenin; confiscates a garbage truck and a tractor nr. Hebron. Israeli settlers uproot over 500 olive trees outside Hebron. In Abu Dis, Israeli soldiers enter the rebuilt “Gate of Jerusalem” protest tent camp (see 2/16) to take pictures and prepare for another round of raids, demolitions, and evacuations. The PA security forces (PASF) raid the office of 2 Palestinian Legislative Council mbrs. in Ramallah, arresting the office manager. In East Jerusalem, 58 Israeli settlers escorted by 20 Israeli soldiers tour Haram al-Sharif. (AFP, MNA, WAFA 2/18; MNA, PCHR, WAFA 2/19; PCHR 2/26)

Israel’s Supreme Court overturns the Central Election Comm.’s (CEC) 2/12 decision to bar MK Haneen Zoabi (Balad) from participating in the 3/17 election. (AFP, HA, TOI, YA 2/18; WAFA 2/19)

White House and State Dept. spokespersons confirm that the U.S. is not passing complete information to Israel about the contents of the negotiations between Iran and the P5+1, saying Israel is inaccurately “characterizing our negotiating position.” Meanwhile, over 20 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives sign on to a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) asking him to postpone Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress until after the Israeli elections on 3/17. (POL 1/28; AP, HA, YA 2/18; AFP, HI 2/19)

In the Gaza Strip, unknown assailants destroy the car of a senior Hamas official with explosives in Nussayrat r.c. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, after Palestinian and international activists rebuild the “Gate of Jerusalem” tent camp in Abu Dis, Israeli forces return to the area and deliver a 24-hour eviction notice. Hours later, they demolish and evacuate the camp for a 3d time. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in Jalazun r.c. and 4 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, Silwad, and Ni‘lin), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), injuring 3 Palestinians with rubber-coated metal bullets and 1 with a tear gas canister. IDF troops also arrest 2 Palestinian boys tending sheep nr. Hebron and 3 others tending their land nr. Qalqilya. The IDF patrols nr. Ramallah, Jenin, Hebron, as well as in al-‘Arub r.c. and Salfit. Israeli settlers open fire with live ammunition on Palestinians peacefully protesting nr. Bayt Umar, causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct a house search in Ras al-Amud, arresting 1 Palestinian. (IMEMC, MNA 2/6; TOI 2/7; PCHR 2/12)

Israeli PM Netanyahu orders the implementation of a plan that will include the destruction of around 400 Palestinian-owned and EU-funded structures in the West Bank. The order follows the 2/5 publication of a report in the Daily Mail on EU funding of Palestinian projects that do not have the correct licenses under Israeli law. (DM 2/5; TOI 2/6; WAFA 2/8)

U.S. VP Joseph R. Biden announces that he will not attend Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on 3/3. (AP, JDF 2/6)

On the sidelines of a security conference in Munich, reps. of the P5+1 and Iran discuss Iran’s disputed nuclear program ahead of their end of 3/2015 political accord deadline. U.S. Secy. of State Kerry and Iranian FM Zarif also meet to discuss how sanctions would be lifted under a possible deal and how many centrifuges Iran would be permitted to keep operational. (REU 2/6; JP, TOI 2/7; AFP 2/8)

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)