The Palestine Chronology

The IDF assassinates 3 Palestinian fighters in 2 separate air strikes on Khan Yunis in the morning and Dayr al-Balah in the afternoon; 2 of those killed are identified as members of the Popular Resistance Comm. (PRC), which vows to retaliate. In the West Bank, the IDF arrests a number of teachers en route to work in 1 village nr. Hebron; patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah and 1 village nr. Hebron in the afternoon (in the latter’s case confiscating a tractor); arrests a Palestinian working on his land nr. Hebron in the afternoon; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Ramallah and 1 village each nr. Hebron and Tulkarm. Those detained include Ayman Nasser, a researcher from Addameer human rights organization. (REU, MNA 10/14; MNA 10/15; PCHR 10/18).

The UN’s Middle East envoy Robert Serry says that he is alarmed by attacks perpetrated by Jewish settlers against Palestinian farmers and farmland in the West Bank. (ToI 10/14)

In East Jerusalem, PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. Hanan Ashrawi addresses diplomats from Asia, the EU, Latin America, and the Middle East, calling on them to increase donor aid to the PA and to support a revived Palestinian statehood bid at the UN (see QU in JPS 165 for details). (NYT 8/14)

Israeli Jerusalem municipal officials approve construction of 12 commercial and hotel towers (24–33 floors each) on East Jerusalem’s Jabal Abu Ghunaym/Har Homa settlement site. The IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin and Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Eliezer settlement nr. Bethlehem, escorted by the IDF, bulldoze and level 5 d. of Palestinian agricultural land and a well in nearby al-Khadir village; the leveling cuts off Palestinian access to another 11 d. of crop land. (PCHR 8/16; OCHA 8/18)

PA PM Fayyad and Israeli Fin. Min. Yuval Steinitz sign an economic agreement, to go into effect on 1/1/2013, that will regulate taxes and bilateral trade with the aim of reducing illegal trade and tax evasion and building the PA’s tax revenue base. It is the first major IsraeliPalestinian economic agreement since the 1994 Paris Protocol, which sets out in detail the economic relationship between Israel and the PA. (JP, UPI 8/1; JPI 8/17)

Overnight (similar to 7/30), IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire into agricultural areas along the Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis sporadically for hours, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning; patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin late at night. Jewish settlers fr. Halmish settlement nr. Ramallah uproot and burn 30 Palestinian olive trees on Palestinian land nr. al-Nabi Salih. OCHA reports that Israeli authorities demolished an extension to a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem. (PCHR 8/2; OCHA 8/3)

With the Tal Law exempting the ultraOrthodox from military service set to expire at midnight, Israeli DM Barak orders the IDF to start drafting ultraOrthodox Jewish men and gives IDF officials 1 mo. to draft official guidelines to implement the order. (NYT, WP, WT 8/1)

Israeli pres. Peres’s office releases the text of a letter that it says is from Egyptian pres. Mohamed Morsi, formally responding to a Ramadan greeting Peres sent on 7/15/12. The text, welcomed by Israel, pledges to work to promote Middle East peace and get bilateral Israeli-Egyptian relations back on track, particularly regarding border security. Morsi aides deny that any letter was sent, but Peres’s office releases copies that show Morsi’s name typed (not signed) and an accompanying letter from the Egyptian amb. on embassy letterhead, indicating that the letter had been cleared with Morsi’s office. Official bilateral relations do not suffer, and public optimism on future relations increased. Most analysts believe (e.g., NYT, WP 8/1) that the incident simply reflects Morsi’s attempt to speak to 2 audiences, Israel and the international community, and his constituency in Egypt, hostile or at best ambivalent concerning the peace treaty with Israel. (NYT, WP 8/1)

Gaza’s power plant begins operating on 4 turbines for the first time since 2006, after Israel (in a gesture to mark Ramadan) allowed the UN Development Program to import new transformers to replace those destroyed by an Israeli air strike in 2006. The improved capacity of the plant and additional Israeli fuel imports to mark Ramadan reduce rolling blackouts across Gaza to 8–10 hrs./day (down from around 12 hrs./day in recent months). The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho and Ramallah in the morning; conducts synchronized patrols in 4 villages nr. Jenin at midday; patrols in alNabi Salih in the afternoon, firing rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them (causing no serious injuries); and conducts synchronized patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho in the evening. (PCHR 8/2; OCHA 8/3)

PA Fin. Min. Nabil Kassis says the government is finding it harder each month to meet its routine budget expenses because donors, including the U.S. and Arab states, have failed to fulfill their 2012 pledges. The PA had hoped to close a $1.1 b. gap in its $4 b. budget, but is expected to fall short by $250,000, despite increasing taxes and making cuts to subsidies. (WT 7/27)

Republican candidate Mitt Romney begins a 6-day international tour of Britain, Israel, and Poland to point up his foreign policy skills. The theme of the trip is ‘‘the importance of locking arms with the nation’s allies.’’ Aides say that on the Middle East, Romney intends to highlight differences with Obama over plans for the peace process, support for Israel, Iran’s nuclear program, and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. (WT 7/26; see QU in JPS 165 for details.)

The International Israel Allies Caucus Foundation (formed by Israeli Knesset mbrs. and mbrs. of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008) sponsors 2 panels on Capitol Hill to mark nearly 20 yrs. since the signing of the 9/2003 Oslo Accord and to discuss how to move the peace process forward. Speakers include former State Dept. adviser to the negotiations Aaron David Miller, Likud MK and avid settlement supporter Danny Danon (who supports annexation of the West Bank except for the Palestinian population, which would be left to fend for itself), right-wing settler leader and former MK Rabbi Benny Elon (who supports annexation of the West Bank and creation of a Palestinian state in Jordan), and Israeli negotiator to the Oslo talks Yossi Beilin (who says: ‘‘My interest is not necessarily a Palestinian state. All I want is a Jewish majority forever.’’), and Jerusalem Post dep. managing editor Caroline Glick (who says Oslo was destined to fail because Palestinian leaders ‘‘raised a generation of kids who value death’’). The only representative of the Palestinian viewpoint, American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) dir. Ghaith al-Omari, praises Oslo for establishing a sense of ‘‘mutual respect’’ necessary for moving talks forward and calls for a quick resumption of negotiations. Elon responds that there will be no progress until the Palestinians understand that the Jewish people ‘‘are back in Zion, back in Jerusalem.’’ (WJW 7/26)

In response for the Israeli air strike on Gaza on 4/7, unidentified Palestinians fire 3 rockets (including 1 manufactured Grad) fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Gaza City fire warning shots at a Palestinian scavenging for scrap metal nr. the border fence, lightly wounding him. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Qalqilya (twice), 1 village nr. Jenin (where troops fire stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no injuries), and 1 village nr. Salfit in the morning; patrols in 1 village nr Jenin and 1 nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon; patrols in Aqabat Jabir r.c., Jericho and 1 nearby village, Kafr Qaddum, Nablus, and Salfit late at night; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Nabi Salih. Hamas authorities in Gaza hang 3 Palestinians, 1 convicted of collaborating with Israel and 2 convicted of murder. (JP, YA 4/8; WT 4/9; PCHR 4/12; OCHA 4/13)

The New York Times runs a special investigative report on the decades-long relationship between Israeli PM Netanyahu and U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R-MA) that began when both worked as corporate advisers at Boston Consulting Group in 1976 and attended weekly brainstorming sessions together. The relationship has continued to the present with the men routinely engaging in “unusually frank exchange[s] of advice on topics like politics, economics, and the Middle East.” Of the friendship, Romney says: “We can almost speak in shorthand. We share common experiences and have a perspective and underpinning which is similar.” Netanyahu also notes their “easy communication.” (NYT 4/8)

Late in the evening, IDF troops on the c. Gaza border fire 2 artillery shells into Gaza City, hitting a home (failing to explode, but causing damage) and a farm (causing no reported injuries). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Jericho in the morning; patrols in Jericho and 1 nearby village, 5 villages nr. Salfit, and 1 nr. Tulkarm late at night. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil’in, Kafr Qaddum, Nabi Salih, and Ni’lin. IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (Nabi Salih only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters. As a result, 1 Palestinian photographer is injured (rubber-coated steel bullets) in Bil’in; 1 Palestinian cameraman (tear gas canister) and 1 Palestinian demonstrator (live ammunition) are wounded in Nabi Saleh. (PCHR 2/2; OCHA 2/3)

The Pentagon says it is rushing to modify the aging amphibious assault ship USS Ponce, previously scheduled for decommission, for dispatch to the Persian Gulf by summer 2012 for use as a large floating staging base for commando teams and a docking station for small high-speed boats and helicopters. The U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, recommended the move amid concerns about rising tensions with Iran, al-Qa’ida in Yemen, and Somali pirates. (WP 1/28)

Palestinian and Israeli peace teams hold a 2d very low-profile meeting in Amman. The sides downplay the meeting, calling them “exploratory sessions,” so as not to raise expectations of a negotiating breakthrough. An anonymous Palestinian official says that the Israelis did not offer anything today that would move the peace process forward. Judeh does not issue a formal statement, and Israel refuses to comment. (NYT, WT 1/10)

The IDF conducts morning patrols in Qalqilya, 2 villages nr. Jenin, and 1 nr. Tulkarm; afternoon patrols in 2 villages nr Jenin (firing tear gas at stonethrowing youths in 1 incident), and 1 nr. Qalqilya; late-night patrols in Tulkarm and nearby Bayt Lid and in 1 village nr. Qalqilya. The IDF also enters ‘Azzoun village nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon to summon for interrogation 3 Palestinians released in the 10/2011 Shalit prisoner swap; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and nr. Nablus. (PCHR 1/12; OCHA 1/13)

On the day before the New Hampshire primaries, Republican presidential candidates Ron Paul and Rick Santorum both stress that the U.S. must maintain close ties with Israel. Paul, who opposes all foreign aid, says he is against continuing massive assistance to Israel, stating “I don’t believe that I should take money from anybody here and send money to them,” saying it sends the message “we own you.” Santorum stresses the threat from Iran, whereas Paul calls the danger of Iran achieving nuclear weapons “way overblown.” (WT 1/10)

The White House announces that Pres. Obama has tapped his dir. of the Office of Budget and Management, Jack Lew, as his new chief of staff, replacing outgoing chief of staff William Daley. American Jewish organizations praise the selection of Lew, an Orthodox Jew who is very involved in Jewish events in Washington, stating that since Dennis Ross’s departure as Obama’s chief adviser on the Middle East they had worried that there was no one “left to call in a White House that has hemorrhaged top Jews over the last year or so” that could directly weigh in with the pres. on issues of concern to Israel. (JTA 1/10; WJW 1/12, 1/19)

Israeli troops on the n. Gaza border twice fire at suspicious movement in open areas e. of Bayt Hanun, causing no reported injuries. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning and in Tulkarm town and r.c. in the evening, in both cases firing at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no reported injuries. OCHA reports that in the previous wk., the IDF demolished 10 tents and 5 animal pens in the Bedouin village of Fasayil al-Wusta and 2 animal pens in the neighboring Bedouin village of Fasayil al-Fauqa, both in the Jordan Valley. (PCHR 12/22; OCHA 12/23)

Fatah and Hamas announce that, in keeping with their 5/2011 reconciliation deal, they have agreed on formation of a new Central Elections Commission to prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections. They fail to reach an agreement on formation of a caretaker government to take the Palestinians to elections, postponing further discussion until late 1/2012. (JPI 12/30)

After a UNSC briefing on the Middle East, 14 UNSC mbrs. criticize the U.S. (without naming it directly) for blocking any criticism of Israel’s recent approvals for new settlement construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and of the increasing settler violence, as well as for threatening to veto any UNSC res. supporting Palestinian statehood. British UN Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, speaking on behalf of the European UNSC mbrs. (Britain, France, Germany, and Portugal), calls recent Israeli settlement and settler actions “devastating” to the 2-state solution, saying “Israel’s security and the realization of the Palestinians’ right to statehood are not opposing goals. On the contrary, they are mutually reinforcing objectives. But they will not be achieved while settlement building and settler violence continues.” Grant also calls on Israel and the Palestinians to send their comprehensive proposals on territory and security to the Quartet as soon as possible. (The Palestinians have already submitted theirs to the Quartet, so this is seen as an added rebuke to Israel, which has not done so.) (HA 12/21, NYT 12/22)

Overnight, Jewish settlers set fire to the entrance of a mosque, a car, and a construction vehicle in Burqin village nr. Salfit, moderately damaging the mosque and destroying the 2 vehicles. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction material in the demolished Erez industrial zone, forcing them to flee. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids and house searches nr. Hebron, Tulkarm. (PCHR 12/8, 12/15; OCHA 12/16)

Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney and New Gingrich address the conservative Republican Jewish Coalition, criticizing U.S. Pres. Barack Obama for his weak and confused foreign policy and mistreatment of Israel. Neither endorses a 2-state solution, even though the Republican Party platform officially supports this. Romney pledges that his 1st trip as pres. would be to Israel. Gingrich promises that he would move the U.S. emb. fr. Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Republican candidates Michele Bachmann, John Huntsman, Rick Perry, and Rick Santorum also address the forum and promise new approaches to the Middle East but do not go into detail. (NYT, WP 12/8)

Obama Middle East adviser Ross announces at a lunch with Jewish leaders that he will resign effective 12/2011 to return to work at the pro-Israel Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Sources say his decision reflects “the diminishing chances for a breakthrough in either Iran or the Arab-Israeli peace process” before the 2012 presidential elections. (NYT, WP 11/10)

In retaliation for Israeli air strikes on 11/8, unidentified Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Israeli naval vessels detain a Palestinian fishing boat off the c. Gaza coast, confiscating the boat, detaining 1 man who is a mbr. of the Palestinian naval police, questioning and releasing 2 others. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts afternoon patrols in 1 village nr. Jericho and 2 nr. Ramallah (firing rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas at stone-throwing youths in 1 case, causing no serious injuries); patrols in Tulkarm late at night; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. (XIN 11/9; PCHR 11/17; OCHA 11/18)

Obama’s Middle East adviser Ross and acting U.S. special envoy Hale make their 2d visit to Israel in a wk. (see 6/16) to meet with Netanyahu, Abbas, and their advisers to push for renewal of peace talks. (HA, JTA, MA 6/22)

Overnight, unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket and a mortar fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Early in the morning, the IDF carries out an air strike on a smuggling tunnel on the c. Gaza border in retaliation, hitting a poultry farm and killing 3,500 chicks, but causing no other injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF enters Bayt Sahur nr. Bethlehem in the morning, surrounding the al-Quds Open University campus, randomly stopping and searching students, detaining 1 student and 1 journalist for 2 hrs. before withdrawing; conducts late-night patrols in Burham village nr. Ramallah; and makes late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jerusalem and Nablus. (AP, HA, NYT, WP, WT, YA 6/22; PCHR 6/23, 6/30; OCHA 7/1)

Obama’s senior Middle East adviser Dennis Ross and acting U.S. special envoy to the peace process David Hale make an unannounced visit to the region in effort “to find a formula for talks that would entice the Palestinians to drop their bid for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state” at the UN in 9/2011. (NYT 6/17)

Overnight, the IDF carries out an air strike on a smuggling tunnel on the c. Gaza border with Israel in retaliation for the 6/15 rocket fire, causing no reported injuries. During the day, unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket toward Israel, but it lands inside Gaza, hitting a Palestinian home nr. al-Maghazi r.c., injuring 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF raids the Hebron home of Hamas-affiliated PC mbr. Samir al-Qadi and arrests him. The IDF also patrols in 5 villages nr. Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Tulkarm during the day and in Jericho, 3 villages nr. Salfit, and 1 nr. Ramallah late at night; raids an auto repair shop in Nabi Elias nr. Qalqilya during the day, questioning but not arresting 2 Palestinians; and conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. The IDF also escorts Jewish settlers into Kafr Haris to pray at a religious site. (NYT, WP 6/17; PCHR 6/23; OCHA 6/24)

U.S. pres. Barack Obama gives a major speech on the Middle East meant to reassess U.S. priorities in the region, particularly in light of the recent prodemocracy uprisings (the “Arab Spring”). He speaks extensively about the peace process at the close of the address (including denouncing the Palestinian statehood initiative, urging against Hamas participation in a national unity government, and endorsing the 1967 lines with agreed land swaps as the basis of border negotiations) but does not offer a new U.S. peace initiative. Netanyahu immediately denounces the reference to 1967 lines, saying they would jeopardize Israeli security. (HA, MNA, MA, NYT, WP, YA 5/19; NYT, WP, WT 5/20)

Israel’s Jerusalem planning commission approves construction of 1,600 new settlement housing units in East Jerusalem (Har Homa/Jabal Abu Ghunaym and Pisgat Ze’ev). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tulkarm, 3 villages nr. Ramallah, and 1 village nr. Jenin during the day and in Jericho and Birzeit nr. Ramallah late at night; conducts arrest raids nr. Bethlehem (targeting stone-throwing youths) and Qalqilya. (WAFA, YA 5/19; PCHR 5/26; OCHA 5/27)

Israel’s Interior Min. says it will move forward with plans to build 1,300 new Jewish settlement housing units in East Jerusalem (978 in Har Homa/Jabal Abu Ghunaym, 320 in Ramot). At the same time, Israel issues construction tenders for 800 units in the West Bank settlement of Ariel, which Israel intends to keep under final status. Meanwhile, Israel’s Jerusalem municipal authorities issue a report stating that the municipality is currently building more than 13,500 housing units for Jews in various Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem. The UN, U.S., and PA denounce the plans. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols without incident in Zayta village nr. Tulkarm in the morning; patrols in Bayt Liqya late at night, firing rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries. (HA, JAZ, MNA, YA 11/8; HA, NYT, WP, WT 11/9; OCHA, PCHR 11/11)

Pres. Obama dispatches U.S. Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on a 3-day regional tour of the Middle East, with stops in Syria (to warn Damascus against interfering in Lebanon), Turkey (to urge Turkey to repair its ties with Israel), Lebanon (to show support for Pres. Michel Suleiman), and Israel and Ramallah (to explore ways of reviving the peace talks). (XIN 11/8; AP 11/9; NYT 11/11)

The U.S. summons Israeli amb. Michael Oren and national security advisor Uzi Arad to a 4-hr. mtg. at the White House to discuss how to “contain fallout” fr. the flotilla raid and to find ways for Israel to ease the siege of Gaza without harming Israeli security. Separately, U.S. Secy. of State Hillary Clinton phones Israeli DM Ehud Barak to urge Israel to be very careful about what it says and does in the coming days to defuse the situation as quickly as possible. (WP 5/27; IFM 6/1; NYT, WJW, WP 7/2)

In light of the 5/31 flotilla incident, Egypt says it will open its border with Gaza indefinitely as of 6/2 for unlimited travel for humanitarian purposes, though import of goods will remain restricted per Israeli demands. Overnight, unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing damage but no injuries. In response, the IDF carries out 2 air strikes and fires 7 tank shells on the launch site nr. Abasan in s. Gaza, killing 2 armed Palestinians; then sends troops 400 m into Gaza to clear lines of sight in the area. Later in the day, Islamic Jihad mbrs. fire 2 Qassam rockets fr. n. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF shells the launch site, killing 3 Islamic Jihad mbrs. Meanwhile, IDF troops on the s. Gaza border for unknown reasons fire into al-Shuka neighborhood in Rafah, wounding a 71 yr.-old-Palestinian woman inside her home. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging construction materials inside the Erez industrial zone, causing no reported injuries. The UN reports that in the previous wk., Hamas authorities in Gaza for unstated reasons shut down 6 Palestinian NGOs and confiscated some of their property; UN special coordinator for Middle East peace Robert Serry expresses concern over the impact on Palestinian civil society. The UN also reports that in the previous wk., 6 Palestinians were killed, 12 injured when a gas canister being smuggled through a tunnel on the Rafah border exploded; 1 Palestinian was killed and 2 were injured in a separate tunnel collapse. (JP 6/1; NYT 6/2; PCHR 6/3; OCHA 6/4)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya shoot and wound a mentally ill Palestinian nr. the border fence; the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Palestinian Liaison Office secure his release fr. Israeli custody. (PCHR 11/5)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches in and around Tulkarm town and r.c., but makes no arrests. Nr. Nablus, 8 Jewish settlers fr. Brakha raid Burin village, where they are confronted by 10s of stone-throwing Palestinians; IDF troops in the area (possibly escorting the settlers) fire rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas at the Palestinians, injuring 1 and arresting 1 other. (PCHR 11/5)

U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton arrives in the Middle East and meets with Netanyahu and Abbas, hoping to help them reach an agreement on settlements that would allow resumption of peace talks. (NYT 10/31; NYT, WP 11/1; JR 11/23)

In the West Bank, the IDF opens a major road fr. Hebron to Bayt ‘Awwa that passes by Kiryat Arba settlement to Palestinian traffic for the 1st time in 8 yrs. after the High Court rules that closing the road is not necessary to protect the safety of local Jewish settlers; however, 2 road blocks at either end of the road are replaced with permanently staffed IDF checkpoints, and Palestinians wishing to use the road must apply for special IDF permits (as of 8/31 only 22 vehicles and 44 drivers were on the list). The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem and in ‘Askar r.c., Balata r.c., and Bil‘in. Israeli police carry out a predawn eviction of 2 Palestinian families (52 people, including 20 children) fr. the Ghawi and Hanun residences in Shaykh Jarrah (see 7/28), where they have lived for more than 50 yrs., after the High Court rules that the Jewish settlers who claim ownership can move in even while the authenticity of their deeds remains disputed; Jewish settlers move in immediately; Britain, the U.S. State Dept., and UN special coordinator for the Middle East Robert Serry issue statements denouncing the action, which in Serry’s words, “heighten[s] tensions and undermine[s] international efforts to create conditions for . . . achiev[ing] peace.” Jewish settlers fr. Harsina settlement nr. Hebron set fire to 10 d. of Palestinian agricultural land nearby in an effort to create territorial linkage btwn. the settlement and a 200 d. plot of land nearby fenced off by the IDF as a closed military zone. (NYT, WP, WT 8/3; OCHA, PCHR, WJW 8/6; OCHA 8/18; OCHA Humanitarian Monitor 8/09)

The IDF makes a brief incursion into Gaza e. of Gaza City to level land nr. the border fence. The UN reports that 9 Palestinians were killed and 16 injured in tunnel collapses in the previous wk. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Tulkarm. Jewish settlers evicted fr. Inbalim on 7/27 set up 3 new mobile homes in Givat Egoz outpost nr. Talmon settlement, also nr. Ramallah. An Israeli court reverses its 7/27 temporary injunction on construction at the Farhan-Hijazi properties in Shaykh Jarrah, ruling that Jewish settlers may keep building and living on the site until the next court session to discuss the case on 9/23/09. Meanwhile, Israeli police raid 2 other Palestinian homes in Shaykh Jarrah (the Ghawi and Hanun properties) where ownership is contested by Jewish groups, ordering residents to vacate the homes by 8/10/09 or face expulsion; settlers attempt to occupy the Hanun home but are fended off by the family; both families immediately file an appeal to the Israeli High Court. Timed with Mitchell’s visit (see 7/26), Jewish settlers, as a protest message to Obama, set up 11 new unauthorized settlement outposts, symbolizing the 11 settlements established by Zionists in the Negev in 1946 in defiance of British prohibition. The settlers hold a press conference inaugurating the new outposts in Neria settlement, established in 1991 to protest a visit by Secy. of State James Baker who was then pressuring Israel to halt settlement construction. (NYT 7/29; OCHA, PCHR 7/30; OCHA 8/18)

U.S. NSA Jones and his chief Middle East adviser Dennis Ross begin a 3-day trip to Israel, with talks focused on Iran. (WP 7/27; NYT 7/29)

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu begins a 2-day visit to Washington to discuss the peace process, Iran, bilateral relations, and Middle East regional affairs, holding his 1st mtg. with U.S. pres. Barack Obama at the White House. Obama privately presses for a total Israeli settlement freeze and endorsement of a 2-state solution, with Netanyahu demurring. The leaders emerge showing no signs of tensions, instead stressing shared goals of preventing Iran fr. developing nuclear weapons and achieving peace btwn. Israel and the Palestinians. (HA, IFM, WP, WT 5/18; NYT, WP, WT 5/19; NYT, WJW 5/21; WP 5/24; NYT 5/29; JPI 6/4; HA 6/11; see also NYT, WP 5/17)

In the West Bank, the IDF makes a rare daytime incursion into al-Khadir nr. Bethlehem, raiding 2 secondary schools while classes are in session, holding the students for several hours while searching for a wanted person; no arrests are made. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-‘Arub refugee camp (r.c.) and 3 villages nr. Hebron. (OCHA 5/20; PCHR 5/21)

A 5th round of Palestinian national unity talks (5/16–18) ends in Cairo without any progress. (Xinhua–New China News Agency 5/18; NYT 5/20)

The IDF deploys heavily across the West Bank and seems to scale back house searches and arrest raids in preparation for Pope Benedict XVI’s 5/8–15 visit. Today, the IDF fires tear gas at stone-throwing Palestinians taking part in the weekly protest against the separation wall in Bil‘in; disperses Palestinian and Israeli activists holding a nonviolent demonstration against the construction of a new settler-only bypass road nr. Harsina settlement nr. Hebron, beating and lightly injuring 2 Palestinians, arresting 6 Israelis. Jewish settlers fr. Harsina damage nearby Palestinian cropland. (OCHA 5/13; PCHR 5/14)

Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Jordan at the start of an 8-day tour of holy sites in the Middle East, with additional scheduled stops in Israel, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. (WP 5/9; NYT, WP, WT 5/10; IFM, NYT, WP, WT 5/11–12; NYT, WP, WT 5/13–16)

The IDF makes an incursion into Gaza, injuring 2 armed Palestinians (most likely a rocket-launching squad; see UN report in 2/24 below); shoots, wounds an unarmed Palestinian who strays close to the n. Gaza border fence; makes several air strikes on the Rafah border (injuring 1 Palestinian reporter). Israel further restricts the permitted fishing zone off the Gaza coast to 3 nautical miles. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Tubas; fires live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (injuring 4). (Middle East Newsline 2/19; OCHA 2/24, 2/25; PCHR 2/26)

No violence is reported in Gaza. Israel allows in 293 truckloads of humanitarian aid and commercial goods. In the West Bank, the IDF raids Battir village nr. Bethlehem early in the morning and occupies a Palestinian home, stating the home is needed for several days “for security purposes”; makes a latenight raid on a market in al-Fara‘ r.c. nr. Tubas, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 2 but making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem, nr. Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah. (PCHR 1/29)

Obama’s newly appointed Middle East envoy George Mitchell begins an 8-day “listening tour,” with planned stops in Israel, Ramallah, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, France, and Britain. He will not meet with Hamas officials. (Globes, MM, al-Ra’i, YA 1/26; MM, NHR, NYT, QA, al-Thawra [Damascus], WP 1/27; WJW 1/29)

U.S. Secy. of State Rice begins her final 4-day Middle East tour of Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and the West Bank to discuss efforts to achieve “lasting peace in the region consistent with the goal of a two-state solution.” The U.S. had announced the trip on 10/30, when optimism surrounding the Gaza ceasefire was high, hoping that the visit would end with the signing of an Israeli-Palestinian joint statement on future negotiations at a high-level Quartet meeting on 11/9. In the wake of the 11/4–5 violence, however, the White House declares today, as Rice begins her meetings, that it intends to leave IsraeliArab peacemaking to the Obama admin. and no longer thinks any Israeli-Palestinian peace deal will occur before Bush leaves office in 1/09. Rice meets with Livni today. (BBC 11/6; NYT, WP, WSJ 11/7) (WT 10/31; HA 11/8; IFM, NYT, WP, WT 11/9; WP 11/10)

IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire on Palestinian farmers working their fields nearby, forcing them to leave. The IDF also makes an air strike on a group of Palestinians nr. Jabaliya r.c. allegedly preparing to fire a rocket, injuring 1. Palestinians fire 4 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, in the morning, the IDF sends undercover units into Qalqilya driving a car with Palestinian plates to raid a store, arrest the owner; conducts a similar undercover raid into Nablus later in the day, raiding another store and arresting the owner; sends troops into al-Khadir village at midday, forcing stores to close, patrolling streets, withdrawing early in the evening; makes an evening incursion into Azun nr. Qalqilya, imposing a curfew, beating Palestinians who do not quickly leave the streets, withdrawing before midnight. Abbas accuses Hamas forces in Gaza of detaining nearly 50 Fatah members and supporters in a political move to undermine upcoming Cairo unity talks; at least 9 of those arrested, including a Fatah PC mbr., are released by the end of the day. A Palestinian woman dies of injures receive in the 11/4 IDF attacks on Gaza. (HA 11/6; MM 11/7; OCHA 11/12; PCHR 11/13)

IDF troops on the Gaza border fires on a group of Palestinians in the fmr. Nisanit settlement area nr. the border fence nr. Bayt Lahiya, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF sends an undercover unit in a car with Palestinian license plates into Tulkarm r.c., fires on a group of Palestinians wounding 4 (an AMB mbr., an Islamic Jihad mbr., 2 bystanders ages 10 and 16), then fires 5 shots at 1 of the wounded, AMB mbr. Jasr Zughayb, assassinating him; fatally shoots 2 AMB mbrs. in an exchange of fire in Nablus, also demolishing the home in which they were staying; fatally shoots a 17-yr.-old Palestinian who attempts to cut through the separation fence nr. Ramallah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abu Dis; raids the Modern College building in Beitunia nr. Ramallah, firing on PSF officers dispatched to the scene responding to reports of suspicious activity, killing 2 PSF officers. In Gaza, a combined group of Hamas, ESF mbrs. acting on rumors of Fatah of smuggling weapons halt, demand to inspect a 4-truck convoy escorted by Abbas’s presidential guard that entered Gaza fr. Israel through the Kerem Shalom crossing, sparking an exchange of gunfire that leaves at least 5 Palestinians dead (including 4 presidential guardsmen, 1 female bystander), 34 wounded (including 14 bystanders); the shipment of supplies (widely believed to be arms and ammunition though in separate statements, Fatah says it is food and medical supplies, equipment and tents, generators and spare parts) fr. the UAE reportedly was organized by Gaza strongman Dahlan, with the knowledge of the U.S. and Israel, and was intended for guard units loyal to him; the contents of the trucks cannot be confirmed, as they are seized during the clash (it is unclear by whom). The convoy incident precipitates Fatah-Hamas gunfights across the Strip that kill at least 3 Palestinians, wound at least another 50, and end a 3-day truce. In the most serious incidents: PA Presidential Guard units storm the Islamic University campus, clash with ESF mbrs. guarding the campus (leaving 22 wounded), claim to seize a large weapons cache and to detain 7 Iranian “explosives experts”; Hamas denies the presence of any Iranians in Gaza, Fatah does not give any proof of the arrests, Israel and the U.S. say they cannot corroborate the story; suspected Fatah gunmen fire on Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum nr. Gaza City, causing no injuries. Other Fatah-Hamas clashes are reported in Bayt Hanun, Bureij r.c., Gaza City, Jabaliya r.c., Khan Yunis, Rafah. In Gaza City, 5,000 Palestinians attend a rally organized by the National and Islamic Higher Comm. for the Follow-up of the Intifada (NIHC) calling for a cessation to intra-Palestinian violence. Abbas issues a presidential decree taking over 18 acres of Palestinian land nr. the Qarni crossing for construction of a presidential guard training base, to be funded by Western donors; the UN will provide training; a 16-acre presidential guard base and intelligence services training college is also being built in Jericho. (MM 2/1; NYT, WP, WT 2/2; WP 2/3; Middle East Newsline 2/5; MM 2/6; OCHA 2/7; PCHR 2/8; NYT 2/23; JTA 3/4)

The IDF bulldozes 8 Palestinian homes, a gas station constructed without permits in areas of East Jerusalem slated for a new park; demolishes 22 structures (including a school) in Khirbet Tana nr. Nablus (pop. 450) built without permits, leaving only 2 buildings in the village and the 200-yr.-old mosque standing; imposes a curfew on ‘Ayn al-Bayda nr. Jenin, searches homes, arrests around 30 Palestinian farmers, shepherds who are not residents of the village; raids a municipal building in n. Ramallah, arresting 1 Palestinian; fires live ammunition at Palestinians protesting separation wall construction in Qutna nr. Jerusalem, wounding 2; fires on residential areas of Aida r.c.; raids, occupies 3 Palestinian homes in Yatta as observation posts. Hamas holds a prayer rally in Nablus calling on Palestinians to boycott the evening’s Palestine International Festival (an annual wk.-long festival, not held since 2000, that opened in cities across the West Bank on 6/30) performance in the city by pop singer Ammar Hassan, citing the impropriety of men and women dancing to “risqu´e” music as well as of holding such a celebration when families are still mourning the losses of the intifada; the AMB assures that it sanctioned the event after Hassan agreed to sing only “conservative songs”; the performance ultimately is disrupted by some masked AMB mbrs. fr. Nablus and Balata r.c., who fire guns in the air, destroy some sets, force Hassan to cut short his performance. (HA, REU 7/5; IMEMC, OCHA, PR, XIN 7/6; PCHR 7/7; PR 7/13; HA 7/28; PR 8/3)

The United Church of Christ passes a resolution calling for the use of “economic leverage” to promote Middle East peace, but rejects resolutions calling for divestment in companies that supply Israel with bulldozers, military equipment. Two additional resolutions also denounce all forms of violence in the Middle East, “including suicide bombing by Palestinians and the use of force by Israelis in perpetuating occupation of Palestinian lands,” and call on Israel to dismantle the separation wall. (JTA, WP 7/6; AP 7/7; CSM 7/8)

In an incident in Dayr al-Balah, IDF soldiers grant permission to an international delegation, including 3 UN staff members, to visit and question a local Palestinian family, provided they stay only 30 mins. and not enter the family’s home; the delegation complies, but as it is leaving, an IDF soldier deliberately shoots the 15 yr. old son of the family fr. a distance of 20 m., hitting him in the back, partially paralyzing him; the international team transports the boy to a Gaza City hospital. IDF also fires on residential areas of Brazil r.c., wounding an 11-yr.-old Palestinian boy; bulldozes 15 dunams of land, demolishes a Palestinian home nr. Jenin, 1 in Salfit nr. Nablus, a poultry farm in Dayr al-Balah; conducts arrest raids in Bayt Hanina, Gaza City, nr. Jenin. Armed Jewish settlers attack a Palestinian neighborhood in Hebron, seriously beating a 13-yr.-old Palestinian girl. In Jenin, unidentified assailants open fire on Palestinian Authority (PA) health minister Jawad al-Tibi, Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction head Muhammad Ishtiyya during a visit to inaugurate a new hospital; neither is injured. (VOP 2/18 in WNC 2/20; PCHR 2/19; VOP 2/19 in WNC 2/21; LAW, PCHR 2/26; HA, DUS 2/28)

U.S. National Security Council Middle East Adviser Elliott Abrams, Dep. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, Asst. Secy. of State William Burns arrive in Israel for3days of talks with senior Israeli, Palestinian officials on Israeli PM Ariel Sharon plan for unilateral disengagement fr. Gaza. (MM 2/18; VOP 2/18 in WNC 2/20; BBC, HA, MM, WT 2/19; VOP 2/19 in WNC 2/21; MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/20; HA 2/22; WP 2/26; Forward 2/28)

The IDF fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Nablus; conducts arrest raids nr. Nablus. On the last Friday of Ramadan, Muslims across the Middle East hold Jerusalem Day rallies in support of the Palestinian claim to Jerusalem. In Tehran, 10,000s of Iranians demonstrate; some 10,000 rally in Bahrain; 1,000s rally in Beirut; Iraqis in Baghdad, Najaf hold rallies for the 1st time in yrs., chanting “Sharon is God’s enemy! America is God’s enemy!” and “No to America!”; in the West Bank, Gaza 1,000s of Palestinians protest against the Geneva Accord. (HA 11/21; IRNA, VIRI 11/21 in WNC 11/25; NYT 11/22; PCHR 12/4)

The IDF makes a predawn raid on Tulkarm, sparking an exchange of gunfire that leaves 1 Hamas mbr. dead, arresting 3 Palestinians, including local Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) leader Nayif Jaradat; pulls bulldozers out of Bureij r.c., ending a 4-day operation that leveled 55 dunams (4 dunams = 1 acre) of Palestinian land. (HA, XIN 11/17; VOP 11/17 in WNC 11/19; NYT 11/18; PCHR 11/20)

Israeli PM Ariel Sharon meets secretly in Rome with U.S. National Security Council Middle East adviser Elliott Abrams, reportedly briefs Abrams on his plans for unilateral actions in the occupied territories. (HA, VOI 11/22 in WNC 11/25; HA, MM 11/24; WP 11/26)

IDF undercover units raid Nablus, sparking numerous demonstrations and exchanges of gunfire, in which wanted AMB mbr. Taysir Shihab is fatally shot, 20 Palestinians (mostly stone-throwing youths) are injured. The IDF also bars Norwegian special envoy to the Middle East Jakken Bioern Lian entry to Gaza for a scheduled mtg. with PA officials (see 5/11); issues an order expelling a Palestinian fr. the al-Mawasi area, where he resides, for 6 mos.; shells a PSF post nr. Netzarim settlement, killing 3 PSF officers, wounding 2; makes arrest raids in Jenin, sparking clashes that leave a 12-yr.-old Palestinian dead; conducts additional arrest raids in Qalqilya, Tulkarm; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; bulldozes more than 86 dunams e. of Bayt Hanun. Jewish settlers evacuate 7 mobile homes fr. an unauthorized outpost nr. Shilo. Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets at Sederot and 5 mortars at Gush Katif settlement, causing no damage or injuries. (AFP, HA, PCHR, REU 5/14; HA, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 5/15)

Israel allows Islamic Movement northern branch head Shaykh Ra’ed Salah, 1 of the 15 arrested on 5/13, out of custody for several hrs. to attend the funeral of his father in Umm al-Fahm, which turns into a massive Israeli Arab rally against Israeli government discrimination. (HA 5/15)

The IDF undercover units conduct arrest raids in Jenin, shooting and wounding 5 Palestinians, detaining 4; conduct additional arrest raids in Aida r.c., Balata r.c., Bayt Jalah, Nahalin, Ramallah. The IDF also fires rubber bullets at several Palestinian children (ages 9–14) allegedly violating a curfew in Hebron, wounding 1; fires live ammunition at a checkpoint nr. Gaza City for no apparent reason, injuring 1 Palestinian child, damaging several vehicles; shells residential areas of Khan Yunis; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Bayt Furik, threatens to demolish a 3d house if the son of the family does not turn himself in for questioning; bulldozes 10s of dunams of olive groves in East Jerusalem to make way for a settler bypass road. A roadside bomb explodes nr. an IDF vehicle in Hebron, causing no damage or injuries. Hamas fires 2 Qassam rockets at Sederot, lightly injuring 1 Israeli. (HA 4/21; HA 4/23; LAW, PCHR 4/24)

U.S. dir. of the reconstruction of Iraq U.S. Lt. Gen. Jay Garner (ret.) arrives in Baghdad to begin work. Garner visited Israel in 1998 at the expense of the pro-Israel lobbying group the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA), has signed a statement blaming the Palestinians for Israeli-Palestinian violence, has said that the U.S. needs Israel to project U.S. force in the Middle East. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/22)