The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 9 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Beit Umar, injuring 3 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Dajan, causing tear-gas related injuries. 18 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Abud, Silwad, Silat al-Harithiya, Jaba‘, Kafr Ra‘i, Beita, and al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya; during the raid in Abud, Israeli forces arrested 22 Palestinian students from Birzeit University who were camping at a nearby spring; 12 were released shortly after the raid while 10 remained in custody. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/16; PCHR 9/22; UNOCHA 9/30)

The Israeli company Meimei Hanegev cut the water supply to 50 Palestinians living in the Rahma community in the Negev. The move by the water supplier was illegal under Israeli law and the water connection was restored after Haaretz inquired about the matter to the company. A member of the community said he had tried to pay off the majority of the outstanding balance owed the company, but that his payment was rejected at the post office, citing a technical issue. (HA 9/19)

Israel indicted 1 Palestinian man for acts of terrorism related to a shooting in the Old City of Jerusalem on 8/14 where 8 people were wounded in a bus. The man had been in house arrest after serving a 5-year sentence when he allegedly opened fire on the settlers. (HA 9/16)

Speaking alongside U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken in Washington D.C., Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi called on Israel to end “unilateral measures that are undermining the viability of the 2-state solution,” citing settlements, confiscation of land, and encroachment on the Haram al-Sharif compound. (HA 9/16; WAFA 9/17)

New Zealand signed a 3-year funding agreement with UNRWA worth $1.8 million. (WAFA 9/16)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed Shireen Abu Akleh, a prominent Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist, while her and colleagues, wearing press uniforms, were covering a raid in Jenin refugee camp, 1 other journalist was injured (for more see below). Israeli forces subsequently raided the home of Abu Akleh in East Jerusalem, where her friends and family were gathered; the Israeli forces confiscated Palestinian flags. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian with a baton round in al-Bireh; several others were also injured with baton rounds. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 19 structures in Masafer Yatta, including 9 residential structures and delivered demolition notices for another 19 structures, including 6 homes. The demolitions followed a high court of justice ruling on 5/4, allowing Israel to displace more than 1,000 Palestinians in the area. Israeli forces also demolished 1 Palestinian-owned home in al-Walaja and 1 Palestinian-owned home in al-Twana. 8 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Nur Shams refugee camp, Beita, and Silwad. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian in the Old City, claiming that the man had charged at Israeli police; Israel did not say whether the man was armed. Israeli forces also demolished a commercial structure in Jabel Mukaber. (AA, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, GDN, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, INT, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, NYT, PCHR, PCHR, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/11; +972, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, HA, HA, HA, IN, MEE, MEE, MEMO, NYT, PCHR, WAFA, WP 5/12; HA, UNOCHA 5/13; AJ 5/19; AJ, MEE 5/20; UNOCHA 6/4)

After Israeli forces killed Abu Akleh, Israel’s prime minister Naftali Bennett said it was Palestinian gunfire that killed her. Later, after B‘Tselem, among others, had proved that it could not have been the Palestinians Israel claimed had hit Abu Akleh; Israel later acknowledged that it may have been their soldiers that killed Abu Akleh with a shot to the head, as her colleagues and other eyewitnesses had said. Israel said it would investigate the incident and offered that the PA join their investigation, which the PA rejected, calling for an international investigation and referring the case to the ICC. According to the PA, Israel claimed that the PA had rejected the joint investigation before Israel had offered it as a possibility to the PA. PA civil affairs minister Hussein Sheikh said that Israel deliberately had targeted her for assassination. The Israeli diaspora minister Nachman Shai acknowledged in an interview “that Israel’s credibility is not very high in such events.” Several countries called for an investigation into Abu Akleh’s death. Israel later said that its initial investigation into the death of Abu Akleh was inconclusive. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, ALM, AX, GDN, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, INT, MEE, MEE, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/11; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, CBS, CNN, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA. HA, HA, MDW, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WP, WSJ 5/12; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, JP, LT, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, REU, TIME, WAFA, WAFA 5/13; REU, WAFA 5/14; AP 5/16; MEE 5/19)

400 members of the Nachala settler movement gathered at a conference in the West Bank, discussing plans to erect 10 new settlement outposts on 20 July later his year. (HA 5/14)

Israel’s interior minister Ayelet Shaked signed an order to merge the unrecognized village of Dahmash with the city of Ramle, despite opposition to the merger from the village’s Palestinian residents. The residents of Dahmash had begun making their own plans for merging with Sdot Dan Regional Council because the council includes several farming communities like Dahmash, but the interior ministry advised against this due to Sdot Dan being predominantly Jewish. (HA 5/12)

United Arab List leader Mansour Abbas told reporters that his party would give the Israeli government coalition another chance after temporarily suspending its membership of the coalition last month after days of Israeli-led violence at the Haram al-Sharif compound during the month of Ramadan. (AP, AX, HA, JP 5/11; ALM 5/12; TOI 5/13)

Syria said Israel had attacked 1 target in Khader in the Quneitra province; no injuries were reported. (AJ. HA, REU 5/11)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian minor succumbed to injuries sustained by Israeli forces during a raid in Kafr Dan on 4/14. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Qarawat Bani Hassan, injuring 1 Palestinian minor with live ammunition and others with tear gas; the minor was also arrested. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 3 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Hebron, injuring 1 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Dajan, injuring 3 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Qaryut, Beita, and Bazariya, leading to tear-gas related injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians at the Haram al-Sharif compound, including inside al-Aqsa Mosque, injuring more than 152 Palestinians with baton rounds, batons, and tear gas, including 8 who were admitted into intensive care facilities. Several Palestinian journalists at the compound were violently beaten by Israeli police, causing broken limbs. 3 Israeli police officers were lightly injured. Some 470 Palestinians were arrested at the compound before noon prayers, where some 50,000 worshippers were praying, about half from the West Bank. Around 440 were released within 24 hours, some of whom were banned from entering the compound until after the end of Ramadan. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, MEE, NYT, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/15; MEMO, REU 4/16 HA 4/18; PCHR 4/21; UNOCHA 4/23)

Hamas, the PA, Jordan, Morocco, UAE, Bahrain, the United Arab List, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned the Israeli-led violence at the Haram al-Sharif compound (see above). The U.S. state department released a statement urging “all sides to exercise restraint, avoid provocative actions and rhetoric, and preserve the historic status quo on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount.” The spokesperson for UN secretary general António Guterres expressed grave concern about the situation in Jerusalem. (HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/15; HA, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/16)

Palestinians in the West Bank are under an Israeli-imposed curfew for the Jewish holiday of Passover, beginning at 4 P.M. and continuing until 4/17. Crossings between Gaza and Israel are closed. (HA 4/14; HA 4/15; HA 4/16)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh spoke to Arab League secretary general Ahmed Aboul Gheit about the Israeli attacks on Palestinians at the Haram al-Sharif compound. Haniyeh also spoke with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and speaker of the Kuwaiti parliament Marzouq al-Ghanim in separate calls. (MEMO 4/16)

At a Passover seder hosted by U.S. vice president Kamala Harris and 2nd gentleman Doug Emhoff, the couple served wine made by the settler winery Psagot Winery in the West Bank. The senior advisor for communications to Vice President Harris said in a tweet that “the wine served at the Seder was in no way intended to be an expression of policy.” (HA, MDW 4/17; MEE 3/18)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with military escort raided Qaryut, leading to a confrontation with Palestinians; 2 were injured by baton rounds. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian man during a raid in Hebron; Israeli forces claimed that the man had thrown a Molotov cocktail at the forces before they shot him in the head. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinians commemorating Land Day in Bil‘in, injuring 1 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians using live ammunition during a raid in Bani Zeid. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 9, including 3 minors, using baton rounds; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. 14 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in al-Yamun, Bayt Rima, Beita, Salfit, Bethlehem, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian woman was arrested at the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, 1 19-month-old Palestinian girl died after waiting 5 months for a permit to go to Israel to get surgery for a hole in her heart. Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian farmers east of Dayr al-Balah; no injuries were reported. (AJ, GDN, HA, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/1; PCHR 4/7; UNOCHA 4/10)

The UAE and Israel concluded negotiations on entering a free trade agreement, which will make 95% of trade products between the 2 countries custom free. The free trade agreement negotiations were part of the 2 countries’ normalization deal. (AJ, ALM, HA 4/1)

At the UN human rights council, 38 countries voted in favor of a resolution confirming the illegality of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and the Golan Heights. Ukraine, Lithuania, Brazil, Cameroon, and Honduras abstained and the U.S., the UK, the Marshall Islands, and Malawi voted against. 41 countries voted for a resolution confirming the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. Lithuania, Cameroon, and Honduras abstained, while the U.S., the UK, and the Marshall Islands voted against. (PCHR, WAFA 4/1; JP 4/3; AA 4/4)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers sprayed pepper spray at a Palestinian herder in Kisan. Israeli settlers also vandalized 30 olive trees in al-Zawiya. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians in Biddu protesting the assassination killing of 3 Palestinians in Nablus on 2/8, injuring 3 with rubber-coated bullets. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinians protesting in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 10 with rubber-coated bullets. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Beita, injuring 1 with live ammunition and 3 with rubber-coated bullets. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Dajan, injuring 8 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Anza and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, a fire broke out in an apartment in Sheikh Jarrah inhabited by Israeli settlers; Israeli settlers claimed it was the result of arson while Palestinians said the fire started due to an electrical short; 2 Palestinians were arrested. 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home in Silwan, displacing 2. 5 Palestinians were arrested at the Haram al-Sharif compound. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of the coast; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian herders northeast of Khan Yunis, no injuries were reported. (MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/11; ALM, HA 2/14; HA, PCHR 2/17; UNOCHA 2/28)

Norway announced that it will contribute $125.5 million to the UNRWA over the next 4 years. (WAFA 2/12; WAFA 2/14; MEMO 2/15)

In the West Bank, PA forces arrested 3 Palestinians in Jenin, leading to gunmen opening fire at a PA office in the city; the 3 Palestinians were released shortly after by the PA. Armed Israeli settlers raided Susiya, chanting racist slogans and throwing stones, injuring 1 Palestinian man. Israeli forces violently dispersed a protest in al-Bireh, injuring 1 journalist with a rubber-coated bullet; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Dajan, injuring 12 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 5 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Hebron, injuring 2 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Beita, injuring 4 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinians protesting in Qalqilya, injuring 5 with rubber-coated bullets. Separately, Israeli forces confiscated 1 excavator in Kuseis near Dura. 7 Palestinians were arrested, including 4 during late-night raids in Beita and Aida refugee camp and 3 at a checkpoint near Jenin. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family demolished parts of their own home in Ras al-Amud. 1 Palestinian was arrested at the Damascus Gate plaza. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen northwest of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian agricultural lands east of al-Fukhari, Dayr al-Balah, and al-Qarara; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/7; HA, JP, TOI 1/8; PCHR 1/13)

The Directorate of the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem said Israel is preventing the implementation of a Waqf decision to increase the number of Waqf guards at the Haram al-Sharif compound. The Waqf said it needs to increase the number of guards due to the increase in Israeli settlers touring the compound. (MEMO 1/8; WAFA 1/10)

Norwegian representative to the UN Mona Juul said that she will use her time as president of the Security Council to prioritize the Palestinian-Israeli conflict by elevating a meeting on the issue on 1/19 to the ministerial level. (WAFA 1/7)