The Palestine Chronology

In the Gaza Strip, the IDF opens fire on Palestinians close to the border fence in the s. Gaza Strip (injuring 1) and nr. the border fence nr. Jabalya (injuring 1). In the West Bank, Jewish settlers s. of Bethlehem uproot 200 olive trees owned by a Palestinian from al-Khadir village. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Tulkarm in the morning; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Tulkarm at night. Israeli soldiers attack weekly nonviolent demonstrations held by Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, al-Nabi Salih) and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara). In Bil‘in, 2 Palestinians are wounded by rubber-coated steel bullets. Palestinians also hold a demonstration in a village nr. Jenin in solidarity with Palestinian hunger-strikers in Israeli prisons. (MNA 12/14; PCHR 12/20)

Israel’s attorney general indicts Israeli FM Lieberman on charges of fraud and breach of trust. (HA 12/14)

The Arab League’s undersecretary for Palestinian affairs says that none of the $100 m. in pledged assistance to the PA for 2012 has been transferred and that no date has been set for the transfer. The PA continues to suffer from Israel’s decision to withhold $120 m. in tax revenues as a punitive measure following the UN bid. Meanwhile, Palestinian negotiator Mohammed Shtayeh says that a legal team is studying which international organizations to join in light of the recent status upgrade. (AFP, ToI 12/14)

A group of Palestinians releases a video declaring the formation of a new resistance faction based in Hebron called the National Unity Brigades. (MNA 12/15)

The Jerusalem Post reports that PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erakat met with EU mission heads in Jerusalem last month to ask for help in drafting the resolution for the UNGA on the Palestinian non-member state upgrade. (JP 10/3)

The Danish FM urges the EU to force stores to label products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, an initiative relating to a decision taken by EU foreign ministers in 5/2012 to enforce existing legislation regarding settlement produce. (HA 10/3)

In the West Bank, the IDF confiscates Palestinian farmland in the Fukin valley nr. Bethlehem; photographs Palestinian houses in the Umm Rokba area s. of al-Khadir village nr. Bethlehem, an area nr. a settlement outpost where many homes have been served demolition orders. The IDF also raids a school near the al-Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron in the morning and patrols in 1 village nr. Hebron (firing sound bombs and rubber-coated bullets, wounding 1 child); patrols in Tulkarm at night, using stun grenades and tear-gas bombs in response to Palestinian stonethrowing, and in 2 villages nr. Hebron; conducts an arrest raid in 1 village nr. Hebron. (PCHR 10/4)