The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, 1 Israeli settler killed 1 Palestinian after ramming him with his vehicle near Kafr Haris. Israeli forces punitively demolished 1 house by explosion in Tura belonging to the family of 1 Palestinian accused of killing 1 Israeli settler on 12/21/2020, displacing a family of 6, including 4 children; clashes erupted during the demolition, leading to the hospitalization of 1 elderly Palestinian who suffered tear gas inhalation and damage from the explosion was reported at 4 other houses in the vicinity. Israeli forces also delivered stop-work notices for 11 houses and 1 playground in Yasuf. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian trying to enter Israel for work by the separation barrier near Barta‘a. Israeli forces also seized 1 residential tent in Khirbet al-Rakiz, 1 tent near Susiya, and 1 tent used as a health care unit east of Yatta. The Palestinian mayor of Hebron said he had received death threats from several people including 1 Israeli settler mayor and Israeli MK Moshe Abutbul. 29 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around ‘Ayn Yabrud, Ramallah, Baytin, al-Izzariya, al-Khadir, Sa‘ir, al-‘Arub refugee camp, Qabatiya, Jenin, Nablus, and Balata refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian was arrested during a raid in Issawiyya. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands east of Abasan; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces also made incursions and leveled land east of al-Fukhari. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/10; PCHR, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA 2/11)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met with UN special coordinator on Middle East peace Tor Wennesland in Ramallah. (WAFA 2/10)

The Israeli health ministry said that Palestinians from the West Bank who work in Israel legally or illegally will not receive the COVID-19 vaccine from Israel. (HA 2/18)

Axios reported that diplomats from Egypt, Jordan, Germany, and France met with Israeli and PA officials separately, proposing a plan to restart peace negotiations including confidence measures such as Israel freezing settlement expansion and releasing bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces and the PA reforming payments made to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. (AX 2/10)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers started construction of a settler-only road southwest of Nablus, connecting 2 settlements. Israeli settlers also vandalized electric poles in Jalud. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers vandalized some 300 Palestinian-owned olive trees in al-Jaba‘. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian passing through a hole in the separation wall near Jenin. 7 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Qaddura refugee camp, Kafr Malik, Tulkarm, and Balata refugee camp; during the raid in Balata refugee camp, Israeli forces and Palestinians clashed; 2 Israeli soldiers were reported lightly and moderately injured. In East Jerusalem, 7 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Issawiyya; clashes ensued during the raids and 1 military SUV was burned. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen west of Bayt Lahiya. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on agricultural lands east of Khuza‘a; no injuries were reported. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/14; PCHR 10/15)

Israel’s civil administration’s supreme planning council approved 1,877 new settler units in 11 different settlements throughout the West Bank. Jordan, the Arab League, and the PA condemned the Israeli settlement expansion. (AJ, REU, WAFA, WAFA 10/14; AJ, HA, PCN, WAFA 10/15)

The Israeli approved the Israeli-UAE normalization agreement in an 80-13 vote. (HA 10/14)

In Lebanon, direct talks between Israel and Lebanon began at a UN base. The 2 sides negotiated, with the U.S. as mediator, where their maritime borders should be drawn. Hezbollah and Amal criticized the Lebanese government for sending civilians and politicians to the negotiations. (AJ, HA, REU 10/14)

India donated $1 million for UNRWA general programming. (WAFA 10/14)

IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s occupation, settlements, and separation wall in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih), Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, and along Gaza’s border nr. al-Bureij r.c.; 2 Palestinians are injured. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in Balata r.c. nr. Nablus early in the morning, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian residents; at least 7 Palestinians are injured. The IDF arrests 1 Palestinian and issues 5 arrest summons during raids nr. Bethlehem and Hebron. (MNA 10/21; PCHR 10/27)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for the 3d day in a row, allowing passage in both directions. (MNA 10/20)

IDF troops shoot and kill an unarmed Palestinian at a military post outside Ofra settlement nr. Ramallah. The man does not open fire on the soldiers, despite initial reports to the contrary. A Palestinian official later says that the slain Palestinian suffered from mental disabilities and that he had entered the military area by accident. In an uncharacteristic response, the IDF does not label the man a terrorist. Israeli forces return the man’s body to his family in the evening. Meanwhile, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian driver in Silwan, East Jerusalem, because they think he is attempting to ram them. The police later report that the man was drunk and not attempting a ramming attack. Elsewhere in the West Bank, the IDF violently disperses Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s occupation, settlements, and separation wall in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih), Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, and along Gaza’s border nr. Gaza City; 1 Palestinian is injured. IDF troops conduct raids and house searches in 2 villages nr. Hebron and in Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, arresting 2 Palestinians and sparking minor clashes (there are no serious injuries); and patrol in 3 villages nr. Hebron during the day. Israeli troops also deploy crowd-control measures on Palestinians attending a soccer match in al-Ram nr. Jerusalem. Around 1,200 Palestinians suffer tear gas inhalation. (HA, MNA, TOI 8/26; PCHR 9/1)

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 the Gaza Strip, Palestinians fire 6 rockets and 2 mortar shells into s. Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Two of the rockets are intercepted by Iron Dome batteries. In addition, an explosive device detonates nr. IDF troops adjacent to the border fence, causing minor damage but no injuries. An IDF drone strikes a car nr. Shati’ r.c., killing 2 senior mbrs. of the PRC and injuring 1. The IDF conducts air strikes on 3 other targets across the Gaza Strip, causing no injuries. Also, IDF troops fire tank shells toward Khuza village close to the border fence, injuring 8. In a separate incident, IDF troops shell agricultural lands close to the border fence nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and wound 3 Palestinians during clashes with residents outside Balata r.c. nr. Nablus. Meanwhile, during an arrest raid in Bethlehem, IDF troops shoot and wound 1 Palestinian in Dahaysha r.c. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in 2 villages and al-Am‘ari r.c. nr. Ramallah, 2 villages nr. Hebron, and 1 village nr. Bethlehem at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the afternoon, and in 3 villages nr. Jericho, 2 villages nr. Hebron, and 1 village nr. Nablus at night. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 2 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in and Ni‘lin), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum). There are no serious injuries. (HA, MNA, REU 6/27; PCHR 7/3)

Martin Indyk resigns as U.S. special envoy, though he will remain an adviser to the Obama administration. Indyk will return to his role as director of the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution. (HA 6/27)

Off the coast of the Gaza Strip nr. Rafah, Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF violently disperses stonethrowing Palestinian protesters in Silwad nr. Ramallah, injuring 1 with live ammunition. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron and 3 nearby villages, and 1 village each nr. Nablus and Qalqilya at night; patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning, and in 3 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, 2 villages nr. Jericho, Nablus and 1 village and Balata r.c. nearby, and 1 village each nr. Jericho and Qalqilya 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, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih), 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara). There are no serious injuries except in Bil‘in (1 struck by a tear gas canister) and in Kafr Qaddum (2 wounded by bullets). (PCHR 5/8)

Right-wing Jewish extremists vandalize the tomb of Izzeddin al-Qassam in Haifa, leaving “price tag” graffiti that includes the names of U.S. Secy. of State Kerry and Israeli justice minister Livni. (AFP, JP 5/2)

Palestine becomes a formal party to 5 international conventions, banning torture, racial discrimination, promoting women’s rights, children’s rights, and the rights of the disabled. In response, Israel withdraws the VIP passes of 4 senior Fatah officials— Nabil Shaath, Tawfik Tirawi, Abbas Zaki and Jibril Rajub—thereby restricting their status at checkpoints and border crossings to the level of other Palestinian citizens. (AFP, JP, MEMO 5/2)

In s. Sinai, 2 suicide bombing attacks target police at a security checkpoint, killing 1 soldier and wounding at least 8. The attacks are claimed by Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis. (AP, REU 5/2)

In the West Bank, Israeli soldiers shoot and injure 4 Palestinians with live ammunition during clashes in Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Nablus and nearby Balata r.c. in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Ramallah, Qalqilya and 1 nearby village, and 1 village nr. Hebron at night; patrols in Hebron and 1 nearby village, and Qalqilya in the afternoon. 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 Bil‘in (3 wounded by bullets, 1 wounded by a tear gas canister), Ni‘lin (1 wounded by a bullet), Nabi Salih (2 wounded by bullets) and Kafr Qaddum (3 struck by tear gas canisters). (AFP, MNA 1/10; PCHR 1/16)

Israel publishes tenders for 1,400 new homes in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and also reissues tenders for 582 units in East Jerusalem that had failed to attract bids from contractors. According to NGO Peace Now, today’s announcement means that Israel has announced 5,349 new homes since peace talks restarted in 7/2013. (REU 1/10)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Balata r.c. nr. Nablus and Hebron at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Tulkarm at night. Israeli soldiers also attack regular demonstrations by Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and the occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih), 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum) and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara), causing no serious injuries except in Bil‘in, where there are 2 injuries from rubber-coated metal bullets and 1 injury from a tear gas canister. (PCHR 7/11)

An estimated 30 people die across Egypt as supporters of deposed pres. Mohamed Morsi protest the military takeover. Twelve die in clashes in Alexandria, with 5 dead in Cairo as supporters and opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood fight in c. neighborhoods. Meanwhile, 5 police officers die in 3 separate attacks in the n. Sinai town of al-Arish, and gunmen also open fire on a military intelligence building in Rafah. The Egyptian authorities close the Rafah crossing on the border of the Gaza Strip due to the security situation. Separately, the Ansar Bayt al-Maqdes group says that it fired 2 rockets at Eilat from the Sinai, after Eilat residents report hearing 2 blasts—though searches by Israeli security forces find nothing. (AFP, AP, JP, MNA, REU 7/5)

Israeli DM Ehud Barak decides to close a gap in the separation fence between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim settlement, putting Ma’ale Adumim outside the Separation Wall and preventing Palestinians from reaching area E1. (HA 1/21)

IDF troops on the Gaza border open fire on Palestinians close to the border fence in 2 incidents nr. the Erez crossing (wounding 1) and Jabalya (no injuries). Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza coast nr. al-Waha, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes agricultural sheds, tin-made homes, and a water well s. of Hebron; patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Jenin and 2 nearby villages, and 1 village each nr. Hebron and nr. Nablus at night. (MNA 1/21; PCHR 1/23)

Palestinian protesters in Balata r.c. nr. Nablus set fire to tires and demonstrate against the PA’s detention of Fatahaffiliated gunmen who gave themselves up on 1/17. Requests by Palestinian Council (PC) deputies to visit the detainees have been ignored. (MNA 1/21)

Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad announces that Hamas and Fatah will form a tripartite comm. with Egypt to implement national reconciliation. Meanwhile, an Egyptian security official confirms that an Egyptian delegation will soon visit the Gaza Strip to push forward the reconciliation efforts. (MNA 1/21)

The EU announces that Denmark and Holland agree to jointly contribute around €7.2 m. to the payment of 12/2012 salaries and pensions for more than 80,000 Palestinian civil servants and pensioners in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. (WAFA 1/21)

U.S. columnist Jeffrey Goldberg reports that U.S. pres. Obama has repeatedly stated in private conversations regarding Israeli settlement expansion in the wake of the Palestinians’ UN bid that ‘‘Israel doesn’t know what its own best interests are.’’ Anonymous sources close to PM Netanyahu respond that the Israeli leader will continue to resist international pressure. (HA, JP 1/15)

Hundreds of Palestinian government workers who have not received a full salary in 3 mos. protest outside PA PM Fayyad’s office in Ramallah. Meanwhile, PA security forces raid Balata r.c. in Nablus looking for the armed men involved in the 1/10 protests against the PA security forces, but make no arrests; masked gunmen fire in the air but not at the PA forces, causing no injuries. (REU 1/15; MNA 1/15)

Israeli Jerusalem municipal authorities and IDF soldiers demolish 2 Palestinian homes in the Sur al-Bahir neighborhood of East Jerusalem, leaving 22 people homeless. In the E1 area just outside East Jerusalem, Israeli security services block dozens of Palestinian activists who try to reoccupy the Bab al-Shams protest tent encampment. In the West Bank, the IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian teenager close to the separation wall by Budrus village nr. Ramallah. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin and 1 village nr. Hebron at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Jenin, Tulkarm, 1 village nr. Hebron, and 1 village nr. Nablus at night. (MNA, REU 1/15; PCHR 1/17)

Democrat sens. Chuck Schumer and Barbara Boxer, well-known supporters of Israel, back Obama’s nomination of Chuck Hagel as the next defense secretary. The nomination has caused a storm of criticism from prominent proIsrael organizations and Congress mbrs. who are suspicious about Hagel’s views on Israel and Iran. (AP 1/15)

In an op-ed in the New York Times, former lead Israeli peace negotiator Gilead Sher, former Israeli Security Agency head Ami Ayalon, and Israeli entrepreneur Orni Petruschka (organizers of a new group called Blue White Future) argue that since serious Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are unlikely to resume soon, Israel should adopt a “radically new unilateral approach” (which they term “constructive unilateralism”): openly “strive . . . to establish facts on the ground” that would impose a 2-state solution based on 1967 borders with Israel’s desired land swaps “regardless of whether Palestinians leaders have agreed.” The proposed borders would be based on Israel’s separation wall. At the same time, Israel would cease settlement expansion in areas that it does not intend to keep and prepare a plan to relocate settlers (they estimate 100,000) from settlements that would fall under permanent Palestinian control. Relocation would not take place, and the IDF would remain deployed in the West Bank, until the Palestinians signed a formal final-status agreement recognizing Israel’s fait accomplis. They argue that the plan meshes well with the Palestinians’ own constructive unilateralism of late (i.e., Abbas’s mission to gain UN recognition of Palestinian statehood), since it would be easier for Israel to negotiate with the Palestinians state to state. (NYT 4/24)

Netanyahu’s special ministerial panel examining the future of 3 unauthorized West Bank settlement outposts legalizes the outposts of Bruchin (pop. 350) and Rachelim (pop. 240) in the north, and Sansanna (pop. 240) in the south, stating that “these communities were founded in the 1990s based on the decisions of a past government.” The panel also calls on the Israeli High Court to put off the 5/1/12 deadline to evacuate 30 homes in Ulpana outpost (constructed on private Palestinian land), which the government describes as a “neighborhood of Beit El” settlement. UN. Secy.-Gen. Ban Ki-Moon calls the decision “illegal under international.” U.S. State Dept. spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says: “We don’t think this is helpful to the [peace] process, and we don’t accept the legitimacy of continued settlement activity.” (Forward, HA, JTA 4/24; NYT, WP 4/25; WP 4/28)

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. They surround and confiscate 1 boat, detaining 2 fishermen. In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes a Palestinian barnyard nr. Bethlehem; conducts morning patrols in 4 villages nr. Ramallah (2 synchronized) and 1 nr. Jericho; afternoon patrols in 3 villages nr. Jenin, Jericho, and Qalqilya; and late-night patrols in al-Bireh, 2 villages each nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah, and 1 nr. Jenin. Jewish settlers, escorted by IDF troops, enter Balata village nr. Nablus in the morning to pray at Joseph’s Tomb. (PCHR 4/26)

Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF responds with at least 1 air strike on a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. The IDF fires on a Palestinian woman grazing sheep nr. the border fence e. of Jabaliya, wounding her. In the West Bank, the IDF fires tear gas at stone-throwing Palestinians taking part in weekly demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 2; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas on Palestinian, Israeli, and international human rights activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in al-Ma‘sara (10s suffer tear gas inhalation) and Ni‘lin (injuring 5); conducts late-night house searches in Nablus and neighboring Balata r.c., but makes no arrests. Jewish settlers fr. Gilad settlement nr. Qalqilya, escorted by IDF troops, attack Palestinian farmers working their land in nearby Jit village, slashing tires of a tractor and ordering the farmers off the land, saying it belonged to them; the IDF troops confiscate the agricultural tools of the Palestinians and order them to leave the area, giving the tools to the settlers. (WT 5/3; OCHA 5/6; PCHR 5/7)

The IDF sends troops into s. Gaza around midday to patrol inside al-Shuka village nr. Rafah, firing on residential areas, wounding a 13-yr.-old boy. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in a nonviolent protest against the separation wall in Ni‘lin, hitting American protester Tristan Anderson in the head with a tear gas canister, critically injuring him; he is left on a ventilator in an Israeli hospital in “life-threatening” condition; 8 Palestinians are also injured. The IDF also fires live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and percussion grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in nonviolent protests against the separation wall in Bil‘in, Burin nr. Nablus, and al-Ma‘sara nr. Bethlehem; makes a rare daytime raid into Nazlat Issa nr. Tulkarm, raiding and searching homes, arresting 3 Palestinians; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around ‘Askar r.c. and Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, and nr. Jenin and Salfit. (WP 3/13; WP 3/17; OCHA 3/17, 3/18; PCHR 3/19; WP 3/24; JPI 3/27)

Israel releases 4 Fatah-affiliated political prisoners as a goodwill gesture to Abbas, marking the start of Ramadan; none are fr. Gaza. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin, injuring 1; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Nablus and neighboring Balata r.c., nr. Hebron and Jenin. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba stone a Palestinian teenager, vandalize several homes nearby. (OCHA 9/10; PCHR 9/11; AIC 11/9)

Overnight in Gaza, the IDF sends troops into Khan Yunis to raid and search homes, ordering all Palestinian men over 15 to surrender for questioning, bulldozing 97 d. of agricultural land and damaging 2 homes. During the operation, the IDF makes an air strike on armed Palestinians who approach the border fence nearby, killing 3 Hamas mbrs., wounding 1; troops withdraw to Israel by midday. The IDF also exchanges fire with Islamic Jihad mbrs. on the c. Gaza border, killing 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs.; fires on Palestinian farmers nr. the Erez crossing in n. Gaza, wounding 1. Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing damage to several greenhouses but no injuries. Late at night, IDF troops enter al-Qarara n. of Khan Yunis to level 60 d. of land; fire on armed Palestinians who approach them, wounding 2. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in, fires on residential areas of Nablus and neighboring Balata r.c., causing damage but no injuries; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c. (firing on residential areas, seriously wounding a 16-yr.-old Palestinian boy), and nr. Hebron, Ramallah; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in (10s suffer tear gas inhalation) and fires percussion grenades and tear gas at demonstrators at a similar protest in al-Ma‘sara. (NYT 5/24; OCHA 5/28; PCHR 5/29)

IDF troops make a late-night incursion into Gaza City, clashing with local armed Palestinians, killing 1, wounding 3. Palestinians fire 4 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing damage but no injuries; 1 rocket fired toward Israel lands nr. a home outside Bayt Lahiya, injuring 2 Palestinians, including a 5-yr.-old girl. In the West Bank, the IDF raids Balata r.c., surrounds a home where AMB mbr. Hani al-Kabi is staying, fatally shoots him when he resists arrest; until recently, Kabi voluntarily stayed in a PA jail overnight as part of the 7/07 AMB amnesty deal with Israel. The IDF also conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (wounding a journalist covering the protest) and al-Masa’ra (injuring 3, including a 9-yr.- old girl). (CSM 4/18; AP, NYT 4/19; NYT 4/20; OCHA 4/23; PCHR 4/24)

The IDF makes an air strike on a car in Rafah carrying Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigade leader ‘Awad ‘Abd al-Fattah alQiq, missing the car, hitting a store, wounding 3 bystanders in an apparent assassination attempt. Armed Palestinians fire 5 mortars, machine guns at an IDF undercover unit attempting to infiltrate the Gaza border e. of al-Maghazi r.c., forcing the unit to retreat into Israel. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c. (where armed Palestinians detonate an explosive device nr. an IDF jeep, wounding a soldier), Nablus; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 3. In Jabaliya r.c., 7,000 Islamic Jihad supporters hold a peaceful rally to mark Jerusalem Day. In Dayr al-Balah, 300 PRC supporters hold a peaceful rally to mark the 2d anniversary of the IDF assassination of PRC leader Jamal Abu Samhadana. Suspected Fatah mbrs. detonate a bomb outside the home of a local Hamas leader in Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. In Gaza City, unidentified assailants detonate an explosive device outside the home of a local AMB leader, causing damage but no injuries. An unidentified Palestinian throws a bomb at the house of a Hamas activist in Abasan, causing no serious damage or injuries; flees to a nearby IDF border post, where he surrenders to the IDF. (OCHA 10/10; PCHR 10/11)

IDF troops stationed on the Gaza border fatally shoot a Palestinian shepherd who strays nr. the border fence nr. Juhur al-Dik; troops conduct bulldozing operations in the area. The IDF makes an air strike on a suspected rocket-launching site nr. Bayt Hanun, causing no injuries. The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishing vessels off the Bayt Lahiya coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF arrests Palestinian Awad Abu Suway, head of a Bethlehem group that organizes local nonviolent protests against the separation wall, and his 65-yr.-old father; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c. and in Hebron, Nablus, and neighboring Balata r.c. PA police rescue an IDF soldier who mistakenly drives into Jenin and is surrounded by an angry mob; police safely turn over the soldier to the IDF, but the crowd burns his vehicle; Israel praises the PA police, saying their actions are a sign of PA Pres. Mahmud Abbas’s growing authority. A Palestinian civilian injured in an 8/14 IDF air strike on Khan Yunis dies. (AP 8/27; WP 8/28; OCHA 8/29; PCHR 8/30)

In Gaza, the IDF fatally shoots 2 armed Palestinians on the border nr. Jabaliya; sends troops into al-Shuka nr. Rafah to bulldoze 6 d. of agricultural land nr. the Gaza airport; bulldozes Palestinian land along the border fence n. of Bayt Lahiya. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Sa‘ida nr. Tulkarm to raid 2 Palestinian homes, mortally shooting Islamic Jihad cmdr. Tariq Milhem in an exchange of fire, allowing him to bleed to death over 2 hrs., also fatally shooting his 11-yr.-old brother, wounding 2 other family mbrs. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in, fires on residential areas of Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, wounding 1 Palestinian woman; conducts house searches in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’a; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 2. Jewish settlers fire on a Palestinian wedding party nr. Nablus, wounding 2 Palestinians. Jewish settlers in Hebron assault an 11-yr.-old Palestinian boy riding his bike, breaking his arm. Meanwhile, 500 Fatah mbrs. hold an unauthorized protest against the Hamas-led government outside the main security headquarters in Gaza City, throwing stones at ESF officers guarding the building, who fire into the air and beat back the demonstrators, injuring 15. Separately in Gaza City, ESF officers raid a wedding to halt celebratory gunfire, scuffling with guests, beating and injuring 1 Palestinian. (WT 8/25; OCHA 8/29; PCHR 8/30)

Under a temporary cease-fire brokered by the Palestinian Clerics Association btwn. the Lebanese army and Fatah alIslam (FI) militants who have been fighting in and around the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Barid nr. Tripoli since 5/07, army soldiers escort the remaining families of FI mbrs. (22 women, 41 children) out of the r.c. in anticipation of a final assault. The army estimates that 70 FI mbrs. are left in the camp and are refusing to surrender. (NYT, WT 8/25)

The IDF continues operations in n. Gaza, exchanging fire with Palestinians (who fire at least 1 RPG, causing no injuries), killing 1 DFLP mbr. and 1 Islamic Jihad mbr., wounding 3 Palestinians, bulldozing land; fires a missile fr. a drone at a group of Islamic Jihad mbrs. n. of Bayt Hanun suspected of having fired a rocket, causing no injuries; sends tanks, bulldozers into areas nr. Khan Yunis to level land. In the West Bank, the IDF raids a school, an Islamic organization, a house, a factory in Bayt Sahur nr. Bethlehem, conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and Jenin town and r.c., in Balata r.c. and Nablus, and nr. Nablus, Ramallah, Salfit. The IDF also dismantles a low wall (not part of the separation wall) running 25 mi. along roads s. of Hebron, in keeping with a 2/06 Israeli High Court decision that it impeded daily life for Palestinians in 21 rural communities. Jewish settlers in Jerusalem attack a Palestinian family in Bayt Safafa, injuring 5 Palestinians, vandalizing their home. In Gaza City, several Fatah mbrs. take refuge in the home of an Islamic Jihad mbr. while trying to evade arrest by the ESF for firing in the air at a wedding; the ESF surrounds the home leading to a clash btwn. ESF officers and Islamic Jihad mbrs. that leaves 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs., 1 ESF mbr. dead and 8 Palestinians wounded; PRC mbrs. intervene to stop the fighting and secure the surrender of the Fatah and Islamic Jihad gunmen. (NYT, PCHR, WP 8/2; NYT 8/3; OCHA 8/8; PCHR 8/9)

IDF troops operating in n. Gaza nr. Bayt Hanun capture 8 rocket launchers and rockets. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., Jenin town and r.c., Nablus; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists holding weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 3. In Gaza City, ESF, Islamic Jihad mbrs. exchange fire, causing no injuries. (NYT 7/7; OCHA 7/11; PCHR 7/12)

Overnight, Hamas mbrs. kidnap, shoot, wound, release a PA presidential guard mbr. in Gaza City. An appeal made by Haniyeh at Friday prayers in Gaza for Hamas and Fatah mbrs. to observe his and Abbas’s calls to halt their infighting is ignored as Fatah, Hamas mbrs. exchange fire nr. Gaza City, with Hamas mbrs. attacking a house where Fatah gunmen are suspected of hiding. Meanwhile, the IDF makes a major raid on Shuka in s. Gaza, searching, occupying homes as observation posts, ordering all males ages 16–45 to surrender for ID checks, detaining 53 (who are transported to Kerem Shalom crossing for interrogation). IDF troops on the n. Gaza border trade tank fire for RPG fire fr. Palestinian gunmen, causing no injuries; fire on a group of Palestinian teenagers hunting birds southeast of Bayt Hanun, wounding and detaining 1. In the West Bank, the IDF fires on a group of Palestinians hunting birds nr. Hebron, killing 1 Palestinian, seriously wounding 1; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and in Balata r.c., Nablus, Tulkarm; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists attending the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 6; fires rubbercoated steel bullets at Palestinians holding a similar nonviolent protest against the separation wall in Um Salamuna nr. Bethlehem, injuring 2. Jewish settlers vandalize a Palestinian cemetery nr. Salfit. (NYT 6/9; OCHA 6/13; PCHR 6/14)

In Gaza, the IDF assassinates IQB mbrs. Ra’ed Habib and Munir al-Jamal in an air strike on their car in Gaza City, wounding 6 bystanders; makes 5 other air strikes on Hamas and ESF targets in Bayt Lahiya, Dayr al-Balah, and Gaza City, wounding 10 bystanders, destroying 2 alleged weapons factories, damaging several homes. In retaliation, Hamas fires 17 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, injuring 2 Israelis in Sederot. The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza City coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in, fires on residential areas of Kafr Dan nr. Jenin, wounding 3 Palestinians; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus and neighboring Balata r.c.; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists holding a weekly nonviolent protest against the separation wall in Bil‘in nr. Ramallah, injuring 2. Jewish settlers scuffle with Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists demonstrating against the wall in Bani Na‘im nr. Hebron; the IDF intervenes, detaining 5 activists. Meanwhile, Fatah-Hamas fighting in Gaza continues, leaving 4 Palestinians dead and more than a dozen wounded. Incidents include Abbas’s presidential guard firing RPGs and mortars at the predominantly Hamas Islamic University in Gaza City. A 7-yr.-old Palestinian boy dies of injuries received in the 5/17 Fatah attack on a funeral in Rafah. (AP, WP 5/18; NYT, WP, WT 5/19; PCHR 5/21; OCHA 5/23; PCHR 5/24)

The IDF makes an air strike on a car nr. Jabaliya r.c. carrying Islamic Jihad mbrs. who had fired rockets toward Israel (causing no damage), missing the vehicle and causing no damage; within the hr., the IDF makes a 2d air strike on a car in the same area, killing 1 Palestinian with no known resistance connections. Citing 9 killings in 2 days, Hamas’s Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades declares an end to its observance of the 11/26/06 cease-fire, though PM Haniyeh says that the PA still has every intention of making it work. During the day, Palestinians fire 5 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in Ramallah, killing a 15-yr.-old Palestinian boy; evicts some 80 Palestinians fr. Hadidiyya in the n. Jordan Valley (the Israeli High Court ruled on 1/3 that they posed a security threat to Jewish settlers in nearby Ro’i settlement; see Quarterly Update in JPS 143); confiscates 169 d. of Palestinian land nr. Tulkarm for construction of the separation wall; imposes a curfew on Hawara nr. Nablus; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., Nablus. A Palestinian gunmanfires on a Jewish settler vehicle nr. Hizma checkpoint into Jerusalem, injuring a settler and a Palestinian bystander. In Jabaliya r.c., PRC mbrs. abduct 5 Palestinians, including 2 ESF mbrs., exchanging fire with the ESF that leaves 1 of the abductees dead and sparks local demonstrations. In Gaza City, armed mbrs. of a local clan attack an ESF base, injuring 1 ESF mbr., kidnapping another (who is released later in the day after the PA intervenes). In Khan Yunis, a PA security officer is carjacked, wounded by unidentified assailants. (WP 4/23; BBC, MM, WT 4/24; OCHA 4/25; PCHR 4/26)

An IDF soldier is lightly injured by a roadside bomb placed along the Gaza border fence. In the West Bank, the IDF sends an undercover unit into Nablus in 2 vehicles with Palestinian license plates to ambush a carload of AMB mbrs., assassinating AMB mbr. ‘Inab Abu Kishik, wounding 2 others; sends an undercover unit in a taxi with Palestinian license plates into al-Til where they ambush, assassinate local AMB leader Muhammad Hamad, wounding 1 bystander; fatally shoots a 13-yr.-old Palestinian girl who strays close to the separation wall nr. Tulkarm; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and in Allar and al-Til nr. Tulkarm, ‘Askar r.c., Balata r.c., Bethlehem, Nablus. Jewish settlers leave the Homesh settlement site after camping there overnight. Jewish settlers fr. Emmanuel bulldoze Palestinian land in Qalqilya to expand the settlement. Fatah-Hamas clashes continue across Gaza throughout the day (involving automatic weapons fire, mortars, RPGs), leaving 6 Palestinians dead, at least 22 wounded: an ESF mbr. is shot dead, 11 Palestinians are wounded in an hr.-long exchange with Fatah mbrs. outside al-Shifa hospital; 2 Fatah mbrs. are killed and 9 wounded in an ambush in Gaza City; 2 Fatah mbrs. are kidnapped, killed and a Hamas mbr. is fatally shot elsewhere in Gaza. In the evening, Egyptian mediators in Gaza bring together Interior M Siyam with the heads of the Fatah-dominated PA security forces to broker a new cease-fire agmt. that goes into effect immediately; the sides also agree to form a joint operating center to coordinate all of the security forces. A Palestinian wounded in the 12/14 IDF assassination of AMB mbr. Zaytawi in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c. dies. (NYT, WT 12/20; OCHA 12/20; PCHR 12/21; AIC 1/17)

IDF troops at Gaza’s Qarni crossing fatally shoot a Palestinian who strays close to the border fence, marking the 1st IDF killing since the 11/26 cease-fire went into effect. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fisherman off the coast nr. Rafah, wounding 3. In the West Bank, a Palestinian stabs, wounds a private Israeli security contractor at Qalandia checkpoint outside Jerusalem. The IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Askar r.c., Balata r.c., Tulkarm r.c. and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya; begins work on a new segment of the separation wall s. of Tulkarm that will isolate 2,000 d. of Palestinian land btwn. the wall and the Green Line. The Israeli High Court rules that a section of the separation wall northeast of Jerusalem btwn. Dahiyat al-Barid and alRama may stand. In Jenin, AMB gunmen fire on the governorate building, set fire to a PA police station, exchange fire with police (injuring a 14-yr.-old bystander) to protest the fatal PA police shooting of an AMB mbr. in an incident involving a stolen vehicle. In Nussayrat r.c., unidentified assailants throw an explosive device into a crowd of Hamas supporters holding a rally, injuring several. In Gaza City, ESF, PSF mbrs. exchange fire, wounding a Palestinian girl. In Khan Yunis, suspected Fatah gunmen assassinate Hamas cmdr. Bassam al-Farra, forcing him to kneel, shooting him execution-style; Haniyeh, currently in the Sudan, cuts short his regional tour to return to Gaza to deal with the escalating intra-Palestinian violence. (NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 12/14; OCHA 12/20; PCHR 12/21; AIC 1/17)

In Gaza, IDF troops in Dahaniyya airport fire tank shells at al-Shuka village, killing a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy, wounding another Palestinian who strays near the border fence; sends troops, drones into Abasan nr. Khan Yunis, conducting arrest raids, demolishing 2 Palestinian homes, damaging a 3d house, bulldozing 79 d. of agricultural land and a water network, wounding 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tamun; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Tulkarm town and r.c., nr. Hebron and Jenin. A 9-yr.-old Palestinian boy is injured in Balata r.c. when he accidentally detonates unexploded IDF ordnance. A Jewish settler driving nr. Qalqilya deliberately hits and injures a 10-yr.-old Palestinian girl walking home fr. school; the IDF arrests the driver. The High Court of Israel rejects 7 Palestinian petitions regarding the route of the separation wall northwest of East Jerusalem, accepting the existing plan, stating that “the purpose of the construction of the wall is to protect the lives of Israeli citizens from terrorist attacks, so its expected benefit is great” and that Palestinian needs had been adequately addressed. (WP 9/11; OCHA 9/13; PCHR 9/14; Independent 9/19)

The IDF shells n. Gaza, wounding a 7- yr.-old Palestinian in Um al-Nasser nr. Bayt Lahiya; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes nr. Nablus for being built without permits; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus and in Balata r.c. (clashing with local gunmen, wounding 2), Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, Qabatya, Qalqilya; razes 2 poultry farms in Walaja nr. Bethlehem for construction of the separation wall. The High Court of Israel approves the route of a wall segment around Shavei Shomron settlement northwest of Nablus that will require confiscating 53 d. of Palestinian land, uprooting 350 olive trees. In Nablus, AMB gunmen kill 2 Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel in the assassination of 2 AMB mbrs. in 3/06. In Ramallah, 1,000s of mbrs. of the PA Government Employees Union (predominantly Fatah) march in protest of the PA’s failure to pay salaries. (MM 5/30; NYT, PCHR 5/31; PCHR 6/8)

An IDF drone fires on 4 PRC mbrs. launching rockets nr. Rafah towards the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel; all 4 are wounded; the rockets cause no damage or injuries. The IDF extends the seal on the West Bank and Gaza (imposed on 3/11) through 3/19; fatally shoots 1 Palestinian, wounds 3 who stray close to the separation wall west of Ramallah; patrols in Tulkarm; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., in and around Hebron, and nr. Bethlehem (also raiding the offices of the Women’s Purity Association, destroying furniture, computers), Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fire on, toss hand grenades at a group of Palestinians in Awarta nr. Nablus, wounding 3. Palestinians across the West Bank, Gaza observe a general strike to protest the IDF’s 3/14 raid on Jericho; those protesting in Ramallah clash with IDF soldiers who fatally shoot 1 Palestinian. Palestinian gunmen release the last 4 foreigners kidnapped on 3/14. Palestinians fire rockets fr. n. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. (AFP, JAZ, MM 3/15; IMEMC, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 3/16; PCHR 3/23)