The Palestine Chronology

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

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 Prime Minister Netanyahu had earlier on that day, before the indictment, withdrawn his request for immunity from prosecution.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

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

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

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

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli authorities detain a Palestinian businessman as he is passing through the Erez border crossing. In the West Bank, after Palestinian and international activists rebuild the “Gate of Jerusalem” protest camp over the last few days, IDF troops raid the camp and pass along a 24-hour evacuation notice, demolishing the camp for a 5th time late at night. IDF troops raid the home of a deceased Palestinian in Hebron, confiscating NIS 50,000 (around $13,000) and issuing a summons to his father. The man was killed in a firefight with Israeli soldiers on 9/22 after he and 2 others kidnapped and killed 3 Israeli settler teenagers in 6/2014. Israeli forces raze 30 dunams of land nr. Bethlehem, preparing the area for the expansion of nearby Efrat settlement. The IDF conducts arrest raids and house searches nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Bethlehem; patrols nr. Hebron, Tulkarm, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a home in Silwan, displacing 14 Palestinians; deliver 3 demolition orders to families in Silwan. They also arrest a Palestinian at the Shu‘fat checkpoint. In c. Israel, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian family’s home in Lydda. (MNA, WAFA 2/10; EI, JP, MNA, WAFA 2/11; PCHR 2/12)

PA Pres. Abbas meets with the Swedish PM Stefan Lofven in Stockholm, then inaugurates a new Palestinian embassy. Lofven announces a new aid program that will see 1.5 b. kronor (around $180 m.) spent on projects that help fight corruption, promote gender equality and human rights under the PA. (AFP 2/9; REU, WAFA 2/10)

Israeli PM Netanyahu accuses the Palestinians of setting preconditions for talks, speaking in a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Cmte. meeting on the same day that it is reported by Israeli media that U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry will postpone a planned visit to Israel and the West Bank, with Kerry now likely to arrive within a week to 10 days. Meanwhile, Israeli army radio reports that no new construction projects have been started in East Jerusalem since the start of 2013, suggesting that there could be a policy of a “silent freeze.” Former FM Avigdor Lieberman responds to the reports by describing the de facto freeze as a “temporary hiatus” designed to allow Kerry’s peace efforts to succeed. (AFP, HA, JP, MNA, ToI 6/10)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops operating from a watchtower nr. Khan Yunis open fire on gravel collectors working nr. the border fence, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron in the afternoon, and in Nablus, 2 villages nr. Nablus, 2 villages nr. Hebron, 1 village nr. Tulkarm and Jenin at night; patrols in 1 village each nr. Ramallah and Tulkarm in the morning, in 1 village nr. Tulkarm in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 village nr. Hebron, and 1 village nr. Jenin at night. (MNA 6/10; PCHR 6/13)

A Cairo court adjourns to 7/6 the retrial of ousted pres. Husni Mubarak on charges of corruption and responsibility for the deaths of protesters, and at the same time, release his 2 sons Alaa and Gamal. They remain in detention, however, over other corruption-related cases. (AP 6/10)