The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces assault a Palestinian man during a raid in Sa’ir. Israeli forces also arrest 16 Palestinians during raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, an Israeli settler stabs and injures a Palestinian bus driver. Israeli forces raid al-Qibli Mosque at the Haram al-Sharif compound, forcibly removing worshippers. Israeli forces also prevent Palestinian Christians from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday celebrations. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, and Gaza City, killing at least 84 people, including several at the aid distribution point at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City for the second day in a row. Israeli forces also raids and besiege of al-Shifa Hospital for the seventh day in a row. Elsewhere, Israeli forces also raid and besiege the Nasser and al-Amal hospitals in Khan Yunis, killing at least 1 medic. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ayta ash Shab, al-Adissa, Baalbek, and Souari, killing a Syrian national in Souari. Hezbollah forces attack al-Marj. In Jordan, police violently disperse protesters outside of the Israeli embassy. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/24; AJ, REU, UNOCHA 3/25)

More than 32,226 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,518 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 440 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 251 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,489 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 137 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. U.S. and Jordanian forces airdrop aid over northern Gaza. UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini says Israel has informed the UN that it will no longer allow UNRWA to distribute aid in northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 3/24; REU, WAFA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 3/25)

Israel says it has arrested 800 people at al-Shifa Hospital in the past week. (AJ, NYT, REU 3/24)

Israeli general Amir Avivi says a U.S. State Department official accused Israel of “systematic” sexual abuse of Palestinian women during a recent meeting. (AJ 3/24)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres meets Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, saying the only effective way to provide aid to Gaza is by land. (REU 3/24)

During a phone call, French president Emmanuel Macron tells Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that forced displacement of Palestinians from Rafah would constitute “a war crime” and “strongly condemn[s]” Israel’s seizure of 1,978 acres of Palestinian land in the West Bank announced on 3/22. (AJ, HA 3/24)

U.S. vice president Kamala Harris says in an interview the U.S. is “ruling out nothing” in terms of how the U.S. might respond if Israel invades Rafah. (AJ, HA, NYT 3/24; AJ 3/25)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid Jalbun and Huwwara, opening fire at homes; no injuries are reported. Israeli forces demolish 7 agricultural structures in Barta’a and 2 agricultural structures in Qabalan. Israeli forces also deliver a stop-work notice for a Swiss-funded sports field in Qalandia and seize a vehicle and equipment. Elsewhere, Israeli forces set up 2 iron gates on roads leading to Huwwara. Israeli forces also arrest 20 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jericho, Qalqilya, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raid al-Qibli Mosque at the Haram al-Sharif compound, forcibly removing worshippers. Israeli forces also erect iron barriers at the King Faisal, al-Ghawanmeh, and al-Hadid gates to the compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb al-Bureij refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Rafah, killing at least 69 people. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive aid at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City, killing at least 21 people and injuring 155. In Beit Kama, a Palestinian citizen of Israel stabs and kills an Israeli soldier before he is shot and killed. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb a home in Naqoura. Israeli forces also bomb Tayr Harfa, Kunin, and Hamul. Hezbollah attacks Israeli soldiers in al-Abad. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb 9 anti-ship missiles and 2 drones at different sites, saying Houthis fired 4 anti-ship missiles at vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/14; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT 3/15)

More than 31,341 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 73,134 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 425 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 247 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,475 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 142 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. U.S. and Jordanian forces airdrop 13,900 meals over northern Gaza. (HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/14; UNOCHA 3/15)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas appoints the current chairperson of the Palestine Investment Fund and former deputy prime minister and minister of national economy, Mohammed Mustafa, as the new PA prime minister. Abbas says in a statement that he asked Mustafa to create a plan to re-unify the administration of Gaza and the West Bank, lead reforms in the PA government, security services, and economy, and fight corruption. The U.S. National Security Council welcomes the appointment of Mustafa. UK foreign secretary David Cameron also welcomes the appointment. According to Axios, State Department and White House officials have met with Mustafa and heard his plans for post-war Gaza and rehabilitating the PA economy. The PA condemns Israel for setting up barriers and gates around the Haram al-Sharif compound ahead of Friday prayers. The PA also calls on the ICC to summon Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for incitement to kill Palestinians, citing his statement in support of the killing of a Palestinian child in East Jerusalem on 3/12. Abbas speaks with Jordanian king Abdullah II, discussing the situation in Palestine. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/14; AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT 3/15)

Reuters reports that Hamas has submitted a 2-stage ceasefire proposal where the first stage would see Israeli women, children, elderly, and ill captives, including female soldiers, exchanged for 700-1,000 Palestinian prisoners. During the first stage a date for a permanent ceasefire and a deadline for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza would be set. The remaining captives would be released in another prisoner exchange. The Israeli prime minister’s office calls Hamas’s terms “unrealistic” but says the war and security cabinets will discuss the proposal on 3/15. Hamas also calls on Palestinians to break the siege of the al-Aqsa Mosque. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 3/14; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU 3/15)

Representatives from several clans in Gaza tell international organizations and Israel that they will not participate in Israel’s plan to circumvent Hamas in the distribution of aid. (HA 3/14)

National Security Minister Ben-Gvir bans the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation from broadcasting in Israel and Jerusalem. (WAFA 3/14)

The U.S. sanctions 3 Israeli settlers, Neriya Ben Pazi, Zvi Bar Yosef, and Moshe Sharvit, and the 2 settlement outposts Moshe’s Farms and Zvi’s Farms. Sharvit and Bar Yosef are responsible for the 2 outposts and are also sanctioned by the UK. (AJ, AX, HA, REU, WAFA 3/14)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signs a letter assuring the Biden administration that Israel will use U.S. weapons in accordance with international law and will allow U.S.-supported humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. (AX 3/15)

The U.S. circulates a draft resolution at the UN Security Council, supporting efforts to establish an immediate and sustained ceasefire. It is unclear when the draft will be put to a vote. (REU 3/14; AP 3/15)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) calls for new elections in Israel, calling Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu 1 of 4 major obstacles for peace, along with “radical right-wing Israelis in government and society,” Hamas, and PA president Abbas. Schumer also says that if Netanyahu remains in power then the U.S. should “play a more active role in shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage to change the present course.” House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says he may introduce a standalone bill for aid to Israel, saying Schumer’s comment “made the situation even more urgent.” The House has already passed 2 Israel funding bills, which Schumer has rejected as Senate Democrats want to tie Israel funding to Ukraine funding. The Likud Party condemns Schumer’s remarks, saying “the Israeli public supports a total victory over Hamas, rejects any international dictates to establish a Palestinian terrorist state, and opposes the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza” and that Israel is “not a banana republic.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT 3/14; AJ, HA 3/15)

Leader of the Houthi movement Abdul-Malik al-Houthi says Houthi forces will attack Israeli-linked ships in the Indian Ocean that are circumventing the blockade of the Red Sea by going south of the African continent. Al-Houthi also says that 34 members of the Houthi movement have been killed since the U.S.-led anti-Houthi coalition began attacking its forces. (AJ, REU 3/14; AJ, HA 3/15)

The Toronto Star and Reuters report that Canada has stopped shipments of non-lethal military equipment, such as night vision goggles, to Israel due to concerns over human rights violations. (AJ 3/14)

The European Parliament pass a resolution denouncing the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the risk of imminent starvation.” EU commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic says that neither the EU, nor to his knowledge any other UNRWA donor, has been presented with any evidence against UNRWA employees by Israel. (AJ, REU 3/14)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shot and injured 2 Palestinian children, aged 12 and 14, in Deir Qadis. Israeli settlers with a military escort also raided Wadi Qelt, storming 5 homes and intimidating residents. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers destroyed water pipes leading to 3 villages in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian during a raid in Qalqilya. Israeli forces also assaulted Palestinians in Hizma. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians in al-Arroub refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces seized a vehicle in Halawa. At least 60 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Hebron, Bethlehem, Jericho, Ramallah, Nablus, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished an apartment on the third floor of an apartment building in Sur Baher. Israeli forces raided the home of al-Aqsa Mosque preacher Sheikh Ikrimah Sabri in Silwan, issuing a demolition notice for the 5-story building he lives in. Israeli authorities forced a Palestinian family to demolish their own home in Sur Baher. In Gaza, Israeli forces killed around 316 Palestinians and wounded more than 664 others during airstrikes on Rafah, al-Bureij, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis and Faluja, including Islamic University of Gaza president Sufyan Tayeh and his family in Faluja. Israeli forces also targeted the Kamal Adwan Hospital, killing 4 people. Israel said it had started to move its ground invasion to southern Gaza and told Palestinians in 20% of Khan Yunis to evacuate to al-Mawasi and Rafah. Israel also said its forces assassinated the commander of Hamas’ al-Shati Brigades. 3 Israeli soldiers were killed. Rockets were fired at Israel, hitting 2 buildings in Sderot; no injuries were reported. In Lebanon, militants fired anti-tank missiles at Israeli forces, injuring 11 soldiers and a civilian. Israel said it attacked several targets in Lebanon. In Syria, Israeli forces fired artillery at southern Syria, saying a rocket was fired at Israel. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/3; AJ, AJ, HA 12/4; HA 12/5; AJ, NYT 12/6)

More than 15,523 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 6,387 children and 4,257 women, and around 41,316 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 246 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 65 children. More than 3,300 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 80 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.8 million Palestinians, nearly 80% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 11/18, at least 45,000 housing units had been destroyed and 233,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. 100 trucks carrying aid, including around 13,000 gallons of fuel, entered Gaza. The Red Crescent said increased Israeli attacks on southern Gaza have made it much more difficult to deliver aid. As a result, aid was only distributed in Rafah. 13 injured Palestinians, 11 companions, and 566 foreign nationals were evacuated. (AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 12/3)

The PA foreign ministry said Israel was seeking to “solidify the separation” between the West Bank and Gaza. (AJ 12/3)

Shin Bet director Ronen Bar said the Israeli cabinet had discussed assassinating leaders of Hamas “in Gaza, the Palestinian territories, in Lebanon, in Turkey, and in Qatar,” calling it “our Munich.” A Turkish intelligence official said there would be “serious consequences” if Israel kills Palestinians in Turkey. Military chief of staff Herzl Halevy said Israeli forces would fight in southern Gaza “as we did strongly and thoroughly in the northern part.” Israel also claimed to have found 800 tunnel shafts in Gaza. (AJ, HA 12/3; HA 12/4)

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said his office will “further intensity its efforts to advance its investigations” in the occupied Palestinian territories. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, WAFA 12/3)

Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said Qatar calls for an “immediate, comprehensive, and impartial international investigation” into Israel’s attacks in Gaza and that his country continues to work toward another ceasefire. (AJ 12/3)

The U.S. said that an American warship and several commercial ships were attacked in the Red Sea. Yemen’s Houthi government said it had attacked an Israeli ship with a missile and attacked another with a drone. The U.S. also said that its Rumalyn Landing Zone base in Syria was attacked by 15 rockets. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT 12/3; AJ 12/4)

In the West Bank, hundreds of Israeli settlers, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, held mass prayers at the evacuated Homesh settlement outpost. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles in the area. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian-owned house near Jalud and stole a donkey from the property. Israeli settlers uprooted some 100 grapevine plants in al-Khader. Israeli forces razed land in Haris, uprooting several olive trees. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound and raised an Israeli flag at al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli forces also raided Bab al-Rahma for the fourth day in a row. In Nazareth, Israeli police raided the local branch of the Hadash party to confiscate a Palestinian flag, 1 person was arrested for refusing to take down the flag. Israeli police returned the flag after MK Aida Touma-Sliman protested the act to the police, calling it “manifestly illegal.” (HA, HA, MEE, QDS, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/26; PCHR 4/27; UNOCHA 5/5)

A group of foreign diplomats visited a school in Jubbet ad-Dib near Bethlehem in protest against Israeli plans to demolish the school along with 57 others in the West Bank. An Israeli court ruled in March that the Israeli Civil Administration must demolish the school by 5/5. (WAFA 4/26; PCN 4/28)

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen released a congratulatory video on Israel’s 75th Independence Day, using the trope that Israel made “the desert bloom.” The PA issued a statement criticizing von der Leyen for using the phrase, calling it “anti-Palestinian racist” and said her remarks were “inappropriate, false, and discriminatory,” calling on von der Leyen to apologize. (AJ, BBC, MEE, MEMO, WAFA 4/27; MEMO 4/28)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians marking Prisoners’ Day in Hebron and Bethlehem, injuring 1 with live ammunition and others with tear gas in Bethlehem and 1 with live ammunition and others with tear gas in Hebron. Israeli forces also confiscated 1 excavator in Deir Istiya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians at the Haram al-Sharif compound and inside al-Aqsa Mosque, injuring 17 Palestinians, including 5 who were taken to hospitals for treatment. More than 728 Israeli settlers toured the compound. Palestinians threw stones at buses carrying Israeli settlers to the compound, injuring 7 settlers. 18 Palestinians were arrested. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in al-Tur, injuring 1 with a baton round. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/17; HA, WAFA 4/18; PCHR 4/21; UNOCHA 4/23)

The Jordanian foreign ministry said “Israel’s measures to change the status quo on the Haram al-Sharif compound are a dangerous escalation. Israel bears full responsibility for the consequences of the current escalation that is thwarting efforts invested to bring about calm,” in response to the many Palestinian injuries at the compound in the past days. The spokesperson for King Abdullah II also called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop its escalation at the holy site. PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who condemned the Israeli violence. Hamas and Islamic Jihad also slammed the Israeli-led violence on the compound. The PA also warned that Israel is attempting to spatially divided the Haram al-Sharif compound like it has done to al-Ibrahimi Mosque. (HA, HA, HA, JP, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/17; MEMO, MEMO 4/18)

The United Arab List (UAL) froze its membership of the Israeli coalition in response to Israeli punitive measures against Muslim worshippers at the Haram al-Sharif compound. Members of the UAL are expected to start working with the government coalition again after the end of the month of Ramadan, which is before the Knesset recess ends on 5/8. (AJ, HA, HA, MEE, NYT, REU 4/17; MEMO 4/18)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian shot by Israeli forces on 5/15 in Ramallah succumbed to his injuries. Israeli forces razed 4 dunams (1 acre) of land, uprooting olive trees and destroying a well near Husan. Israeli forces also demolished 1 car wash near Hizma. Elsewhere, Israeli forces delivered stop-work orders for 2 residential structures, 2 tents, 2 toilets, and 1 agricultural structure near Yatta. 14 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Dayr Sharaf, Tulkarm, and Bayt Fajjar. In East Jerusalem, 3 Palestinians were arrested in al-Tur and Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian farmers east of al-Shuka; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces also made incursions and leveled land east of al-Fukhari. 2 Palestinians were killed by an unexploded Israeli missile in Dayr al-Balah, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 261 to 263, including 67 children and 3 pregnant women. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/2; PCHR 6/3)

In an interview with Vice News, the Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar said that Hamas was ready for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire hours after firing the 1st rocket during the escalation of violence last month and that Hamas had communicated this to the Egyptian, Qatari, and UN mediators every day of the assault on Gaza. Sinwar reiterated that the Hamas rockets fired at Israel on 5/10 were intended to be a message to Israel that Hamas will not allow Israel’s aggression at al-Aqsa Mosque and in Shaykh Jarrah, and about Israel’s violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territories in general. (YouTube 6/2)

Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid (There Is a Future) told Israeli president Reuven Rivlin that he had formed a government coalition 30 minutes before his mandate to do so ran out. The coalition consisted of an extremely diverse group of parties and people, including Naftali Bennett of Yamina (Rightwards) who will be prime minister for the 1st 2 years. The other party leaders were Mansour Abbas of Ra’am (United Arab List), Gideon Sa’ar of Tikva Hadasha (New Hope), Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home), Nitan Horowitz of Meretz (Vigor), Merav Michaeli of Labor, and current deputy and defense minister Benny Gantz of Kahol Lavan (Blue and White). The only factor binding these parties, which range from far-right to left, was the desire to unseat prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the government agreement, after the 1st 2 years with Bennett as prime minister, Lapid will become prime minister in a rotation deal similar to the 1 made between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Deputy Prime Minister Gantz, which never materialized. The Knesset also elected Isaac Herzog as the new Israeli president. President-elect Herzog was most recently the chairman of the Jewish Agency and before that, the leader of Labor. (HA 6/1; AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, ALM, AP, AP, AX, HA, HILL, REU, REU 6/2; AJ, AJ, ALM, ALM, ALM, ALM, AP, AP, CNN, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, JP, NYT, REU, REU, REU 6/3; GDN, HA, HA 6/4)

The largest Iranian naval ship caught fire and sank in the Gulf of Oman; it was unclear what caused the fire. Similarly, a mysterious fire broke out at an oil refinery near Tehran. (AJ, AP, AP, REU 6/2; AP 6/3; AP 6/4)

145 democrats in the house of representatives co-signed a letter by Jamie Raskin (D-MD) to Senator James Risch of the senate committee of foreign affairs, requesting that he stop holding up $75 million in aid earmarked for Palestinians in Gaza in his committee, stressing the urgency of the situation. Senator Risch has said he wants to make sure that the NGOs administering the aid do not work with Hamas. (TOI 5/27; HA, Rep. Raskin 6/2)

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini said, during a visit to East Jerusalem, that Israeli-planned evictions of Palestinians in Shaykh Jarrah violate international law. (AJ, WAFA 6/2)

Germany pledged $18.2 million in aid to Palestinians via the UN. (WAFA 6/2)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to a tractor and wrote racist graffiti in ‘Urif and slashed tires on several vehicles and wrote racist graffiti on buildings in Yasuf. Israeli settlers also threw stones and paint at an Israeli border police vehicle near the Yitzhar settlement. Israeli settlers also set fire to Palestinian agricultural lands in Asira; subsequently, local Palestinians and Israeli forces clashed in the area, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also razed land east of Tulkarm. Separately, Israeli forces injured 3 Palestinians using rubber-coated bullets as they were seeking to enter Israel via the separation wall near Far‘un. 20 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Hizma, Bethlehem, Salfit, Nablus, Tulkarm, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family demolished part of their house built to accommodate their disabled son in Sur Bahir. 4 Palestinians were arrested, including 3 during late-night raids in Issawiyya and the Old City, and 1 Waqf guard at the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israel fired missiles at Gaza City, Bayt Hanun, and Dayr al-Balah, causing damage; incendiary balloons were launched from Gaza toward Israel, sparking fires. 1 unexploded Israeli shell was found at an UNRWA school west of Gaza City. Israel announced that it would stop all imports of fuel into Gaza as collective punishment for incendiary balloons landing in Israel. (AJ, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/13; HA, HA 8/14; PCHR 8/16; PCHR 8/17; PCHR 8/19)

Russia announced that it would open trade representation offices in Bethlehem, Hebron, and Nablus. (WAFA 8/13)

U.S. president Donald Trump announced that Israel and the UAE had agreed to establish full diplomatic ties and that Israel, as part of the agreement, had decided to suspend annexation of parts of the West Bank. In a joint statement from the 3 parties, it said that “Israel will suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined in the President’s Vision for Peace and focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world.” Later, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that annexation is “still on the table” and a promise he is committed to. Subsequently, President Trump said, “Israel agreed not to annex parts of the West Bank. It is more than taking it off the table—they agreed not to do it. This is a very smart concession by Israel. It is off the table now.” U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman later said that annexation is “off the table now but it’s not off the table permanently. You can’t have peace and annexation at the same time.” PA president Mahmoud Abbas called the deal a “betrayal of Jerusalem, al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian cause.” The PA also recalled its ambassador to the UAE. Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said of the deal: “[t]his announcement is a reward for the Israeli occupation’s crimes . . . The normalization is a stabbing in the back of our people.” U.S. officials also said that Bahrain and Oman are likely to soon normalize relations with Israel. (HA, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 8/13; AJ, AJ, REU, REU, REU 8/14; HA 8/15; REU 8/16; AJ 8/17)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces distributed notices to residents in Yatta that Israel will seize 3,000 dunams (741 acres) of Palestinian-owned farmland in the area; and notified the municipality of Ya‘bad that Israel will seize 409 dunams (101 acres) of land. 10 Palestinians, including Khalida Jarrar, were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, and Nablus. Israeli forces also raided 2 homes in Ramallah belonging to alleged attackers and took measurements for punitive demolitions. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrested 1 person working as a guard for the al-Aqsa Mosque. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/31; PCHR 11/7)

Israel advanced plans for 2,342 settler units in the West Bank. (TOI 10/31)

Israel arrested Palestinian lawmaker Khalida Jarrar, who was released in February after 20 months in administrative detention. (AJ, HA 10/31)

An Israeli drone entered Lebanese airspace and, according to Hezbollah, the drone was shot down by its members. Israel, meanwhile, denied that the drone was shot down. (HA 10/31)

According to Reuters, sources in the U.S. State Department said the U.S. Trump administration was withholding $105 million in security aid for Lebanon. (REU 10/31)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces detained 7 journalists and 1 activist from al-Haq, who were all covering an Israeli temporary eviction of Palestinian residents in the Jordan Valley for military drills in the area. Elsewhere in the West Bank, 11 Palestinians were arrested by Israeli forces in late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Jenin, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided and evicted Muslim worshippers from the al-Aqsa Mosque for the 2d day in a row. Off the coast of Gaza, Egyptian naval forces arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen and confiscated 2 boats. (WAFA 5/12; MNA, MNA, MNA, WAFA 5/13)

Israel reopened the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings between Israel and Gaza for the 1st time since Israel’s latest large-scale attack on Gaza on 3-5 May. The crossings were closed on 5/4. (HA, WAFA 5/12)

An Israeli minor charged with planning the murder of 3 Palestinians in the West Bank village of Duma in 2015 entered a plea deal admitting to aiding in the planning. The prosecution team agreed not to ask for more than 5 ½ years in prison in return for his confession. The 3 Palestinians—an 18-month-old boy and his parents—were killed when Israeli settlers set their house on fire. (HA 5/12)

The Israeli public defense office issued a report severely criticizing the Israeli prison service for running prisons that are “unfit for human residence.” Among the critiques in the report are harsh conditions, poor sanitation, prisoners sleeping on the floor due to overcrowding, prisoners having their hands shackled above their heads as punishment, and random strip-searches. The public defense office also found that mold, bedbugs, cockroaches, rats, and mice were found in the prisons and that prisoners had to shower in the same space as squat toilets. Several of the prisons mentioned in the report hold Palestinian prisoners. (HA 5/12)

The foreign ministry of the United Arab Emirates said in a statement that 4 commercial vessels were sabotaged near its territorial waters. There were no injuries or any specific details about the incidents. (HA 5/12)

Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian shepherds nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. Also, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, Israeli soldiers on patrol in a village nr. Bethlehem open fire on Palestinian students returning home, injuring 1. IDF troops raid a PA-run charity in Tulkarm and a university in Jenin, destroying and confiscating equipment, and conduct further raids and house searches in and around Jenin, Bethlehem, and Tulkarm, arresting 8 Palestinians. Israeli forces begin razing 40 dunams (around 9.8 acres) of Palestinian land nr. Hebron; destroy 3 residential structures and a number of health facilities, tents, and an animal barn nr. Hebron. Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian man nr. Nablus with sticks and stones, inflicting moderate injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a store in Jabal Mukabir and a small mobile home in Bayt Hanina, and arrest 17 Palestinians during raids in the Old City. Also, a Palestinian shopkeeper demolishes his own store in Jabal Mukabir after Israeli forces surround it (he says he carried out the demolition himself because he did not want them to damage the adjacent store). Meanwhile, the Israeli authorities bar all Palestinian men under the age of 50 from entering Haram al-Sharif today, ahead of the Jewish Purim holiday on 3/24. Later, they close al-Aqsa Mosque after detaining 17 Palestinians attempting to enter the sanctuary. (MNA, WAFA 3/22; MNA 3/23; PCHR 3/24)

Israel’s political leadership decides to bar West Bank Palestinians from entering or exiting Israel, except in humanitarian cases, during the Jewish Purim festivities. The ban begins late tonight and extends through midnight on 3/26 local time. In recent years, the Israeli govt. has not imposed a ban on Palestinian movement during Purim. (TOI 3/22; HA, JP 3/23)

The PA cabinet decides to ban the products of 5 Israeli food companies—Tnuva, Strauss, Tara, Soglowek, and Tapuzina—from entering the West Bank in response to Israel’s 3/9 order to ban 5 Palestinian food companies from distributing their products in East Jerusalem. Although the order is effective today, it will take some time for the Israeli products to be cleared from shelves. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 3/22)

In Gaza, a 10-year-old Palestinian girl dies of kidney failure. Her father says she was on the list of infirm Palestinians waiting to travel to Egypt or Israel for treatment, and that a Palestinian in Jenin offered to donate a kidney to her, but the Palestinian Authority (PA) delayed and blocked the transfer. He specifically blames the minister of health, saying he “killed her when he refused their request to transfer the girl to a hospital in Israel to get a transplant.” Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. al-Bureij r.c. overnight. IDF troops conduct late-night raids and house searches in Tulkarm and 1 nearby village, 2 villages nr. Hebron, and 1 each nr. Jenin and Bethlehem, arresting 7 Palestinians and confiscating NIS 15,000 (around $3,935). In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces level 5 acres of land nr. Issawiyya, uprooting a number of cypress and olive trees and demolishing several agricultural buildings in the process. In the morning, Israeli forces escort 133 right-wing Jewish activists as they tour Haram al-Sharif. Palestinian youths reportedly block some of them from performing prayers at the sanctuary, and a small fight breaks out between an Israeli police officer and 1 of the guards at al-Aqsa Mosque. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 2/17; JP, PCHR 2/18; PCHR 2/25)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 2 villages nr. Hebron and 1 village nr. Bethlehem at night; patrols in Tulkarm and 1 village nr. Salfit in the morning, in 1 village nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in 4 villages nr. Hebron, Nablus and 1 village and Balata r.c. nearby, 2 villages nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm at night. Jewish settlers from Yitzhar chop down an estimated 60 olive trees nr. Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently disperse Palestinian demonstrators in al-‘Izzariya, a protest in support of defending al-Aqsa mosque from Jewish extremists. There are no serious injuries. (MNA 4/27; PCHR 4/30)

The PLO Central Council in Ramallah adopts a plan to pursue efforts to join 63 UN bodies and international treaties, according to a public statement issued on the final day of a 2-day meeting. Separately, PA Pres. Abbas issues a statement to mark Holocaust Day, denouncing the Nazi genocide. Israeli PM Netanyahu dismisses the comments during an interview with U.S. television network CBS, and says that Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian govt. backed by Hamas. Meanwhile, IDF Maj.-Gen. Yoav Mordechai tells a meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Subcmte. on Judea and Samaria that construction plans for 19 Palestinian villages in Area C of the West Bank have been frozen in response to the reconciliation deal. In addition, U.S. Dep. National Security Adviser Tony Blinken tells CNN that the U.S. is ready to suspend aid to the PA if a unity govt. backed by Hamas fails to recognize Israel. U.S. Special Envoy Indyk leaves Israel for consultations in Washington. EU foreign affairs chief Ashton releases a statement expressing concern over the latest developments in the peace process, and reiterates EU support for the U.S.-led peace talks. She also welcomes the Palestinian unity govt., affirming that it must abide by the principles of nonviolence, recognition of Israel, and commitment to previous agreements. (AFP, JP, REU, WAFA, YA 4/27; HA 4/28)

Remarks made by U.S. Secy. of State Kerry on 4/25 at a private meeting in Washington are published by the Daily Beast, in which he says that without a 2-state solution soon, Israel risks becoming an “apartheid state.” In response, pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC says it is “deeply troubled” by the comments. (HA, NYT 4/28)

Across the West Bank, clashes continue between the IDF and Palestinians protesting in solidarity with prisoners in Israeli jails.

In Jerusalem’s Old City, Palestinian youths and Israeli police clash after Friday prayers, with Israeli security forces briefly entering the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Palestinians protest outside Ofer detention center nr. Ramallah, at Huwara checkpoint nr. Nablus, in Abud village nr. Ramallah (where 4 are wounded including one seriously), at Jalama checkpoint nr. Jenin, and in Tulkarm and nearby ‘Anabta village. In all cases, the IDF violently disperses the protests with tear gas, rubber-coated metal bullets and live ammunition, though no serious injuries are reported. The largest protest is in Hebron, where around 1,500 Palestinians clash with IDF forces and 1 Palestinian man is shot in the foot. In addition, Palestinian and international activists demonstrate in the center of Hebron for the opening of Shuhada Street. The IDF violently disperses the demonstrators, causing 3 moderate injuries with rubber-coated metal bullets. Israeli soldiers also attack regular demonstrations by Palestinians, Israelis and international activists against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and the occupation in 4 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, al-Nabi Salih, Budrus, Ni‘lin), 2 villages nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum, Jayyous) and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma’sara). Injuries include, 1 Palestinian is wounded from a tear gas canister to the head in Bil‘in and 8 Palestinians wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets (5 in Budrus and 3 in al-Nabi Salih). The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning; in al-Fawar refugee camp nr. Hebron (clashes but no serious injuries reported) and Qalqilya in the afternoon; and in 2 villages each nr. Jericho and Qalqilya, and 1 village each nr. Jenin, Ramallah, and Tulkarm at night. The IDF also conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon. In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops open fire on Palestinians close to the border fence in 2 incidents: nr. Bayt Hanun (wounding 2) and nr. Jabaliya (wounding 1). Israeli naval vessels open fire on fishermen working off the north Gaza coast, causing no injuries or damage. (MNA 2/22, PCHR 2/28)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts rare daytime arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, Tubas, and nr. Nablus. Late in the evening, 2 IDF soldiers enter the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, violently beating and insulting a guard who asks them to remove their shoes. In Hebron, Jewish settlers brutally beat a 13- yr.-old Palestinian boy on his way home from school; the IDF observes but does not intervene. (OCHA, PCHR 12/16)

Israeli DM Barak orders government funding to be revoked from a yeshiva in Har Brakha settlement after the yeshiva’s head rabbi encourages his students to refuse orders to evacuate unauthorized settlement outposts. Meanwhile, the Israeli cabinet approves (21–5) changes to Israel’s map of national priority areas to include several isolated West Bank settlements, including several right-wing settlements (including Kiryat Arba and Keddumim) that have led protests against Netanyahu’s settlement freeze. These newly designated areas will be entitled to millions of dollars in additional government financing. (NYT, WT 12/14)

In the West Bank, the IDF raids a house in Bayt Fajjar nr. Bethlehem and another in Jericho, arresting 2 Palestinians (including 1 teenager). (PCHR 10/29)

New Israeli-Palestinian clashes erupt in East Jerusalem after Israel’s Islamic Movement and extremist Jewish groups call on their followers to rally in defense of the al-Aqsa Mosque and Temple Mount respectively. Israeli security forces deploy across the city to contain and prevent clashes, entering the al-Aqsa Mosque compound twice during the day with the stated aim of removing Palestinian demonstrators hiding among the approximately 200 worshippers at the site (temporarily locking worshippers inside the Dome of the Rock and the Southern Mosque), beating many Palestinians, firing tear gas and sound bombs, and arresting 10s of Palestinians (including PLC mbr. ‘Abd al-Qadir, who is ordered on 10/26 to stay out of Jerusalem for 21 days; see 10/4); as many as 25 Palestinians (including around 4 children, 7 women) and 5 journalists are injured. In a possibly related incident, Israeli security forces at Qalandia checkpoint arrest a Palestinian woman for allegedly attempting to stab an Israeli soldier; the IDF later raids her family’s house in Saffa nr. Ramallah. (NYT, WP, WT 10/26; OCHA, PCHR, WJW 10/29; PCHR 11/5)

An Israeli military court sentences 2 IDF soldiers to 20 days in a military prison, expels them fr. their unit, and prohibits them fr. serving as combat soldiers for having demonstrated in support of West Bank settlements during their swearing-in ceremony. (WJW 10/29)

Israeli naval vessels fire on an unmanned Palestinian boat off the Bayt Lahiya coast, causing it to explode, resulting in no injuries; Israel claims the boat was full of explosives and Palestinians floated it out to sea in an attempt to attack its ships; there is no independent confirmation, and no group takes responsibility for staging an attack. Egyptian border police demolish 6 smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF stages a late-night raid into Tuqu‘ village nr. Bethlehem, searching several homes and ordering a number of Palestinians to surrender for questioning, but making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Nablus. In Jerusalem, around 80 Jewish settlers break into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound to celebrate the Passover festival there, chanting slogans to destroy the mosque and build the Third Temple; mosque guards block the settlers fr. entering the mosque itself; the IDF intervenes to arrest a Palestinian journalist covering the incident, charging him with “posing a danger to the Jewish public.” (NYT 4/14; OCHA 4/15; PCHR 4/16)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire a surface-to-surface missile at a group of Palestinians preparing to fire a rocket into Israel, killing 2 Palestinian resistance mbrs., wounding 4; exchange fire with Palestinian gunmen across the border nr. Erez crossing, causing no reported injuries; make air strikes on as many as 5 suspected rocket-launching sites in the Bayt Hanun area, causing no reported injuries; shell an open area nr. Bayt Hanun, causing no reported injuries. Hamas organizes large rallies in Gaza City (7,000), Rafah (3,000), al-Bureij r.c. (2,000), and Nussayrat r.c. (2,000) to protest ongoing Israeli excavations nr. the al-Aqsa Mosque. A Palestinian is killed when a smuggling tunnel under the Rafah border collapses. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem; patrols in, fires on residential areas of Balata r.c., Nablus; erects checkpoints, checks IDs in al-Bireh. Jewish settlers fr. Aley Zahav and P’duel w. of Salfit vandalize a nearby Palestinian home, light a fire near the house, damage a car and an animal pen; IDF troops observe but do not intervene. In Gaza City, unidentified assailants detonate an explosive device outside an ESF post, causing damage but no injuries. Later, unidentified assailants detonate a bomb outside Fatah al-Yasir offices nearby, causing significant damage but no injuries.ESF officers find, dismantle another explosive device in Gaza City; the target of that attack is unclear. (OCHA 11/21; PCHR 11/22)

In an apparent assassination attempt in Gaza, suspected Fatah gunmen fire on Haniyeh’s 10-car convoy, set fire to 1 PA security vehicle, causing no injuries. In Gaza, the IDF sends troops into Bayt Hanun, seals the town, demolishes a workshop, a coffee shop before withdrawing; sends troops into Khan Yunis, fatally shooting 1 Palestinian, demolishing 2 Palestinian homes, bulldozing 6 d. agricultural land. A 15-yr.-old Palestinian is injured when he accidentally detonates unexploded IDF ordnance nr. Dayr al-Balah. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. On the last Friday of Ramadan, Israel allows 180,000 West Bank Palestinians into Jerusalem to worship at al-Aqsa Mosque. 100s of Palestinians denied entry scuffle with IDF soldiers and border police nr. Bethlehem, who fire tear gas, stun grenades. Fatah, Hamas mbrs. exchange fire in Bayt Hanun, wounding 3 Palestinians. In Khan Yunis, a Fatah mbr. is kidnapped, shot, wounded by unidentified gunmen. (NYT, WP, WT 10/21; OCHA 11/1; PCHR 11/2)

IDF gunboats off the Gaza coast shell the fmr. settlement areas of Ganei Tal, Netzer Hazani in s. Gaza, causing no damage or injuries In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem and in Abu Dis, Hebron. The IDF also bars Palestinians under age 40 fr. Friday prayers at al-Aqsa Mosque. (OCHA 8/16; PCHR 8/17)

In the afternoon, after seeing a draft UN res. on halting violence that he says he cannot accept, Olmert authorizes the IDF to expand ground operations in s. Lebanon. The IDF quickly begins moving additional troops, armor into s. Lebanon, while troops already in Lebanon prepare to move toward the Litani. During the day, the IDF continues air and artillery strikes, hitting targets in s. Beirut, areas of n. Lebanon (including Abu Diya, Akkar), s. of Sidon, and in the Biqa‘ Valley (including strafing some 1,300 cars evacuating some 3,000 residents of Marja’uyun, occupied by the IDF on 8/10, who chose to follow a convoy of 350 UNIFIL and Lebanese army troops evacuating the area in coordination with the IDF; 6 Lebanese civilians, 1 Lebanese soldier are killed and 36 are wounded). Ground operations continue in Labuna in the east, Aita al-Sha‘b in central s. Lebanon, and Khiyam, Markaba, Qantara, Qlei‘a further to the northeast. Hizballah fires 124 rockets into n. Israel, injuring 5 Israelis and targeting sites in Acre, Carmiel, Ma’alot, Nahariya, Safad, Shlomi. (AP, WP 8/11; NYT, WP, WT 8/12; NYT, WP 8/13; WP 8/24)

Late in the evening, the UN Security Council unanimously passes Res. 1701, calling for Israel and Hizballah to halt violence in place as of 8:00 A.M. on 8/14 local time (1:00 A.M. ET), demanding that Hizballah cease all attacks and that Israel stop offensive operations (allowing “defensive” responses if they perceive a threat). (IFM, NYT, WP, WT 8/12; NYT 8/14; NYT 8/15) 

As the quarter opens, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continues Operation Blue Skies (launched 12/28/05) to prevent Palestinians fr. firing crude homemade rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, enforcing a 1.5-mi-deep no-go zone along the n. Gaza border using artillery fire fr. inside Israel, occasional air strikes, heavy surveillance fr. air and sea, and construction of a border fence along the n. Gaza border (see Quarterly Update in JPS 139). The IDF also continues to restrict the flow of Palestinian goods and individuals into and out of Gaza: Rafah operates 8 hrs./day for entry and exit of individuals to and from Egypt; Erez is open as the sole entry of Palestinian workers to Israel (the IDF has issued 5,000 permits but only 2,500– 3,500 workers can pass because of slow processing by the IDF); Qarni is open for the transit of goods (360 trucks/day entering Gaza, 75 trucks/day exiting with agricultural goods); Sufa, for the import of raw materials only, is closed since 2/14. In the West Bank, the IDF maintains 100s of checkpoints and roadblocks, effectively separating the northern and southern West Bank, cutting off access to the n. Jordan Valley, and restricting movement within those cantons. Work also continues on Israel’s separation wall. The IDF conducts arrest raids in and around Balata refugee camp (r.c.), Nablus and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron (occupying 1 house as an observation post), Jenin. A Palestinian woman fr. Bethlehem attempts to stab an Israeli police officer outside the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, is arrested. (HA 2/16; OCHA 5/22; PCHR 2/23)

The IDF makes a predawn raid on Mughraqa in s. Gaza, sending in troops backed by more than 20 armored vehicles to search houses; raids al-Quds University campus in East Jerusalem, arresting Palestine National Council mbr. Ali Abu Hilal, dir. of the university’s Center for Democracy and Human Rights; imposes a curfew on ‘Azun nr. Qalqilya; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and al-Ram nr. East Jerusalem, nr. Nablus; patrols in Araba nr. Jenin, Ubaydiyya nr. Bethlehem, Tulkarm town and r.c. (firing on stone-throwing youths, wounding 1), Za‘tara nr. Bethlehem; fires on unarmed Palestinians attempting to sneak into Israel w. of Hebron to find work, wounding 2. The AMB, DFLP fire mortars at the IDF post at Erez crossing, causing no injuries. The Fatah offshoot Abu Rish Brigades fires a rocket at Neve Dekalim, causing no damage or injuries. Palestinians fire on an IDF patrol nr. Tulkarm r.c., causing no injuries but prompting troops to enter the camp, return fire, injuring 1 Palestinian bystander. Jewish settlers fr. Beit Hadasah severely beat a 16-yr.-old Palestinian in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba severely beat a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy in Hebron. A Jewish settler driving nr. Hebron chases, fires on a carload of Palestinian workers returning fr. their jobs in Israel, seriously wounding 1, lightly wounding a 2d. In Jerusalem, 20 Jewish settlers try to force their way into the al-Aqsa Mosque but are barred by Palestinian guards. PA judges go on strike and demonstrate outside the main court headquarters in Gaza. PA High Court chief justice Surani (whose home was attacked on 8/2) resigns to protest inadequate security (he retracts the resignation on 8/8). (HA, REU, XIN 8/6; REU 8/8; OCHA, PR 8/10; PCHR 8/11)

Overnight, the IDF arrests 52 Islamic Jihad mbrs. in the largest raids against the group in the West Bank since 3/05; half of the mbrs. are arrested in Hebron, others in Jenin, Qalqilya, Ramallah. Minutes before Sharon and Abbas hold their 1st mtg. since the 2/8 Sharm al-Shaykh summit to coordinate disengagement, IDF aircraft fires 2 missiles at a group of Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Bayt Lahiya in what Israeli officials say is a failed attempt to assassinate a wanted Islamic Jihad mbr. The Israel FMin. says that “the message was very clear—that Israel cannot accept the fact that Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and the alAqsa Brigades have weapons.” The PA urges Islamic Jihad, the AMB to abide by the cease-fire. Palestinians fire a mortar at a Jewish settlement in s. Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus, Qalqilya and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Tulkarm. (AFP, HA, JAZ 6/21; VOP 6/21 in WNC 6/21; Daily Star, HA, NYT, PR, WP, WT 6/22; PCHR, WP, WT 6/23; VOI 6/23 in WNC 6/24; QA 6/27 in WNC 6/28; Jordan Times 7/1)

The Knesset Interior Comm. discusses the civilian aspects of the Or Commission’s 9/1/03 report into the 10/00 riots during which 13 Israeli Palestinians were killed by police (see Peace Monitor in JPS 118; Chronology in JPS 130). Fmr. High Court Justice Theodore Or says that the government has done nothing to implement his comm.’s recommendations (particularly for achieving equal rights for Israeli Palestinians), address the issues raised in the report. (YA 6/21)

Overnight, Hamas, the PRCs reportedly fire another 45 mortars, 30 rockets at Jewish settlements in Gaza (lightly damaging 1 house) and the Negev in retaliation for the deaths of 3 Palestinians on 4/9. The IDF arrests Fatah mbr. Firas Tanbur in Nablus on charges of planning a terrorist attack on behalf of Hizballah; Palestinians confront soldiers with stones during the raid; soldiers respond with rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas, injuring 10. The IDF also raids, searches an elementary school in, imposes a curfew on al-‘Asa’sa nr. Jenin; fires on stonethrowing Palestinians nr. Nablus; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin; occupies a Palestinian home in Ramallah as an observation post; sends troops into Aida r.c. to break up a nonviolent protest against threats by Revava to attack al-Aqsa mosque. Some 3,000 Israeli police bar a rally at the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif by Revava attended by only 50 rightwing Israelis. Israel reports that Egypt recently arrested a Fatah Hawks mbr. on charges of smuggling Strela surface-to-air missiles into Gaza. (HA, MM, NYT 4/11; XIN 4/12; OCHA, PR 4/13; MM, PCHR 4/14)

Israeli riot police clash with Palestinian worshipers at al-Aqsa Mosque after Friday prayers in the greatest violence there since Sharon’s 9/00 visit that sparked the al-Aqsa intifada; after some worshipers throw stones at police guarding Jews praying at the Wailing Wall, Israeli police wielding batons, firing stun grenades and rubber bullets charge the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, injuring at least 45, arresting 14, driving 1,000s of worshipers into the mosque; Palestinians are allowed to leave after more than an hr. when Waqf officials negotiate their peaceful dispersal. An armed Palestinian infiltrates Avnei Hefetz settlement nr. Tulkarm, fires on a house, killing 1 Jewish settler, wounding 1 before being shot dead by the IDF. The IDF also fires on stone-throwing youths in Bethlehem, killing a 16-yr.-old Palestinian; fires on 2 “suspicious figures” nr. the Gaza boundary fence with Israel, killing 1 Palestinian;stages a major raid into Rafah, demolishing 38 Palestinian homes; conducts arrest raids in Aida r.c. and nr. Hebron, Ramallah. (MM 4/2; WP, WT 4/3; NYT, WT 4/4; PCHR 4/8)

A Hamas suicide bomber detonates a device outside a nightclub in Tel Aviv, killing 16 Israelis and injuring more than 80, mostly teenage Russian immigrants on a Friday night out. Arafat's spokesman condemns the attack, calls on all parties to show restraint. The PA orders Palestinians to close offices and stores and return to their homes, fearing a massive retaliation. Israel seals the West Bank and Gaza; reinforces internal closures on all Palestinian population centers, dividing the West Bank into 8 enclaves, Gaza into 4. Meanwhile, Jewish settlers set up a new enclave on Batn al-Masi hill in the West Bank. A Palestinian known for selling land to Jews is found murdered in Bethlehem. (CNN, HA, IGPO, JP [Internet] 6/1; NYT, WP, WT 6/2; MA 6/2, JT, SA 6/3 in WNC 6/4; NYT 6/3; MM 6/4; DUS 6/4 in WNC 6/5; WJW 6/7; AFP [Internet] 6/8; MEI 6/15)

Before the bombing, Israel allows 10,000s of Palestinians into Jerusalem to attend Faisal Husseini's funeral in Jerusalem. He is buried in a family tomb in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. As Israeli police stand back and watch, Palestinians make their largest open display of Palestinian nationalism in the city since 1967. Some Palestinians throw stones at Sharon's East Jerusalem residence, and a Jewish tourist fires a teargas canister at mourners, but generally the event is peaceful. (AP, HA, YA [Internet] 6/1; MA, Radio France International 6/1, al-Quds 6/2 in WNC 6/4; HP, NYT 6/2; WJW 6/7; JP, MEI 6/15)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue, leaving 5 Palestinian dead, including senior DFLP mbr. Firas Qasim Saba'na, who is assasinated by IDF troops in Jinin. A 6th Palestinian dies of injuries received earlier. In Gaza, clashes erupt when the IDF attempts to remove a roadblock outside Khan Yunis. When the IDF responds to stone throwers with heavy weapons, PA police and Palestinian gunmen fire back, killing 1 IDF soldier. The IDF also shells a Palestinian hotel in Bethlehem "to flush out gunmen." Palestinian gunmen fatally shoot a Jewish settler in the West Bank. The IDF bulldozes 18 dunams of Palestinian land nr. Kefar Darom settlement, 35 dunams nr. Netzarim settlement. For the 7th straight wk., Israel bars Palestinians under 45 fr. attending Friday prayers at al-Aqsa Mosque. The IDF says that since 11/22, it has arrested 119 West Bank Palestinians suspected of throwing stones, Molotov cocktails. (AP, LAW 11/24; LAW, NYT, WP, WT 11/25; IsraelWire [Internet] 11/26; PCHR 12/18)

Arafat and Barak agree to resume security coordination during a 3-way phone conversation arranged by Russian pres. Vladimir Putin. Arafat, who is in Moscow on a 1-day visit to meet with Putin, suggests Russia convene a Madrid-style international conference on the peace process, but Barak rejects the idea. (Interfax, ITAR-TASS 11/24, ITAR-TASS 11/25, HJ, SA 11/26 in WNC 11/29; NYT, REU, WP, WT 11/25; AFP [Internet], MA [Internet] 11/26)

This evening, senior PA and Israeli security officials hold more coordination talks, agree to allow PSF officers back into DCOs. (AYM 11/24, HJ 11/26 in WNC 11/29)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes abate slightly but leave 2 Palestinians dead, over 275 injured (mostly in Ramallah). The IDF pulls back fr. some Palestinian towns, says the PA is attempting to calm the street. But Israel again restricts Palestinian access to al-Aqsa Mosque for Friday prayers. The IDF shells areas nr. Bethlehem in response to Palestinian machine gun fire; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes, bulldozes 27 dunams of agricultural land in Rafah. (AFP [Internet], LAW, PCHR 11/3; NYT, WP, WT 11/4; WP, WT 11/5)

In Washington, PA negotiator Erakat meets with Albright. Israel's Ben-Ami meets with UN Secy.-Gen. Annan in New York and with U.S. officials in Washington, but there is no indication that he and Erakat meet. (JP [Internet] 11/3; NYT 11/4; MENA 11/4 in WNC 11/6; IsRN 11/5) (see 11/1)

Large anti-Israeli demonstrations are held in Bahrain. In the U.S., a rally in support of the Palestinians is held in Boulder. (Bahrain Freedom Movement press release 11/5)

Israel-Palestinian clashes escalate to the highest point in 2 wks., leaving 10 Palestinians dead, some 400 wounded. Barak vows to halt the peace process officially on 10/23 if the violence has not ceased by the end of the 10/21-22 Arab League mtg. Israel again restricts Palestinian access to Friday prayers at al-Aqsa Mosque. The IDF fire shells fr. helicopter gunships and tanks, bars ambulances fr. reaching the injured, fires on at least 1 ambulance. The most severe clashes are around Nablus, Ramallah. Nr. Ma'ale Amos settlement nr. Bethlehem, armed Jewish settlers prevent Palestinian farmers fr. harvesting their crops. In Bayt Sahur, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home. (ADM, MM, NYT 10/20; HA [Internet], NYT, WP, WT 10/21; MEI 10/27)

IDF troops fatally shoot 1 man, possibly 2, attempting to sneak across the blue line fr. Lebanon. (NYT, WT 10/22; MM 10/23; MEI 10/27)

Demonstrations in support of the Palestinians are reported in Bahrain, Lebanon, Pakistan. In the U.S., similar rallies are held in Chicago, Omaha, Memphis, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco. (Newsday [Internet] 10/21; Bahrain Freedom Movement press release 10/25)

The UNGA passes (92-6, with 46 abstentions) a resolution condemning Israel's "excessive use of force" against Palestinians. (WT 10/20; NYT, WP, WT 10/21; ANSA 10/25 in WNC 10/30; ANSA 11/7 in WNC 11/9; Hurriyet 11/9 in WNC 11/13)

PM Netanyahu, Arafat adviser Mahmud Abbas meet secretly at Netanyahu's home for brief talks on the peace process before Netanyahu leaves for China. (MM 6/12)

To mark Jerusalem Day, Israel stages largest military parade (13,000 troops) through West Jerusalem since 1973, attended by U.S. congressional delegation. Groups of right-wing Israelis try to enter al-Aqsa Mosque, march on Orient House. IDF bans Palestinian entry into Jerusalem for the day, sparking clashes btwn. IDF, Palestinians in Bethlehem. (al-Dustur, RJ 5/24 in WNC 5/27; WT 5/25; PR 5/29; MEI 6/5)

In Amman, Israeli FMin. Dir. Gen. Eytan Bentzur, Jordanian FM Fayiz Tarawnah discuss Israeli proposal for conditional withdrawal fr. s. Lebanon. Jordan stresses need for Israel to unconditionally implement UN Res. 425. (JT, al-Quds, al-Ra'i 5/25 in WNC 5/27)

In Cairo, Pres. Mubarak briefs Arafat on his trip to France. Arafat then heads to Saudi Arabia to discuss possible Arab summit. (MENA 5/24, RE 5/26 in WNC 5/27)

Syria asks Iran's help in constructing steel mills. Both countries agree to expand cultural, art exchanges to pave way for closer bilateral relations. (IRNA 5/24, 5/25 in WNC 5/27)

In Damascus, Hamas's Shaykh Yasin meets with Pres. Hafiz al-Asad. (AFP, al-Majd 5/25 in WNC 5/27) (see 5/23)

1st Lebanese municipal elections since 1963 begin. Elections are held on 4 consecutive Sundays. (RL 5/25, 5/26 in WNC 5/27; MM 5/26; al-Safir 5/27 in WNC 6/1; WP 6/1; MEI 6/5)

Russian FM Primakov arrives in Israel for 2-day visit, meets with PM Netanyahu, FM Levy. (IDF Radio, ITAR-TASS [Moscow], QY 10/26, Interfax [Moscow], ITV 10/27, YA 10/28 in WNC 10/29)

PA's Arafat, Egypt's Pres. Mubarak, Yemen's Pres. Ali `Abdallah Salih hold talks on peace process in Cairo. (MENA 10/26, RE 10/27 in WNC 10/29)

YESHA settlers council decides to build a new settlment west of Gush Etzion settlement nr. Bethlehem if Isarael accepts any sort of settlement freeze at the upcoming Washington talks; says general plan for the new settlement was approved in the 1970s by PM Golda Meir, but  exact location would be kept secret until the government's stand on settlements is clarified. (MM 10/27; JP 11/8)

PA Preventive Security Force arrests journalist and human rights worker Khalid al-Amayreh following the publication in an Israeli Arab newspaper of his report on the torture of Hamas activists arrested by the PA over the past few mos. (Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group press release 10/27)

Israel commutes to 24 yrs. the life sentence Alan Goodman, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen found guilty of killing 2 Palestinians, wounding 9 at al-Aqsa Mosque on 4/11/82; releases him after he agrees to spend the remaining 8 yrs. of his sentence in the U.S. (WT 10/27; WP 10/30)

IDF shells strike medical center affliated with PFLP-GC in s. Lebanon, killing a nurse. (MM 10/27; RL 10/27 in WNC 10/29)