The Palestine Chronology

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Dayr al-Balah fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers approaching the border fence, causing no injuries. Off the coast nr. Dayr al-Balah, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, damaging 1. In the West Bank, IDF troops detain a Palestinian singer while he is shooting a music video at a checkpoint nr. Nablus; patrol in 1 village each nr. Hebron and Ramallah. Overnight, Israeli forces demolish a power network in a village nr. Hebron, sparking minor clashes with youth in the area. They also demolish an auto repair shop in a village nr. Bethlehem; set up explosive mines and barbed wire around a water source nr. Hebron. Later, Israeli forces confiscate a Palestinian man’s car nr. Salfit after detaining him for 3 hours. Israeli settlers throw stones at a senior PA official’s car nr. Nablus, causing damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces deliver demolition orders to 3 Palestinian homes. Light Rail guards assault a Palestinian woman. (MNA, WAFA 5/7; MNA 5/9; PCHR 5/14)

Hours after Israeli PM Netanyahu announced the new ruling coalition on 5/6, Jerusalem municipal authorities approve construction of 900 new homes in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood of East Jerusalem. U.S. State Dept. spokesperson Jeff Rathke says that the Obama admin. is “disappointed” and “concerned” with the announcement. The White House, however, releases a statement congratulating Netanyahu on forming a new govt. Meanwhile, EU amb. to Israel FaaborgAndersen says there is a growing frustration within the EU about the lack of progress between Israel and the Palestinians. (AFP, HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 5/7; AP 5/8; TOI 5/9)

An EU observer delegation arrives in Gaza to monitor the Rafah border crossing. (MNA 5/7)

The U.S. Senate passes the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act by a vote of 98–1. The bill, which will allow Congress to review and either approve or disapprove of any final agreement made between the P5+1 and Iran, now goes to the House for consideration. AIPAC and other major pro-Israel groups laud its passage. (JP, TOI 5/7; TOI 5/8)

In the Gaza Strip, Hamas police disperse over 400 Palestinians gathering in Shuja‘iya to protest delays in reconstruction and national disunity, assaulting several and arresting 7. Off the coast nr. Jabaliya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. Separately, the IDF returns 15 confiscated fishing boats to Palestinians in Gaza. The leader of the Palestinian fisherman’s union calls on Israel to give back 60 other confiscated boats, and he recognizes that this is the 1st time boats have ever been returned by sea, which is more convenient for fishermen than the usual overland method. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a sheep barn in a village nr. Nablus; deliver demolition notices for several water wells nr. Hebron. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in 1 village each nr. Jenin, Nablus, and Hebron, arresting 4 Palestinians, including an imam; patrols in 2 villages nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct raids in Anata, al-Tur, and Ras al-Amud, arresting 6 Palestinians. (AFP, MNA, NYT, WAFA 4/29; TOI, YA 4/30; PCHR 5/7)

In Gaza, a Palestinian man is killed in a tunnel collapse nr. Rafah. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and critically injure a Palestinian youth by the separation wall nr. Jenin. The young man will succumb to his injuries late at night. They also conduct house searches and raids in Tulkarm, 1 village and al- ‘Azza r.c. nr. Bethlehem, and 1 village nr. Nablus, arresting 6 Palestinians; patrols in 5 villages nr. Jenin, al-‘Arub r.c. and 1 village nr. Hebron, and 1 village each nr. Ramallah, Qalqilya, and Tulkarm. Overnight, Israeli forces demolish 4 residential structures in the n. Jordan Valley and a home nr. Jenin; conduct a large drill nr. Tubas that leads to fire damage on 3,000–4,000 dunams of farmland. Israeli settlers chop down over 100 almond, grape, and olive trees outside Hebron. Unknown Palestinians throw Molotov cocktails at an Israeli settler’s car nr. Nablus, injuring 1 and causing damage. In East Jerusalem, hundreds of Palestinians gather in al-Tur for the funeral of the Palestinian youth killed by Israeli forces on 4/24, defying the Israeli attempt to restrict the funeral to 70 mourners. Minor clashes break out with Israeli forces, but there are no serious injuries. (The Israeli authorities withheld the teen’s body until early this morning and they required his family to pay approximately $5,000 to get it back.) Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinian women nr. Haram al-Sharif. (WAFA 4/26; JP, MNA, WAFA 4/27; HA, MNA, WAFA 4/28; PCHR 4/29)

The Israeli govt. invites tenders for the construction of 77 residences in Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem—36 in Neve Yaakov and 41 in Pisgat Ze’ev. (AFP, JTA, REU, WAFA 4/27)

UN Secy.-Gen. Ban publishes a summary of a report compiled by an official UN board of inquiry on OPE. The board found that the 7 documented attacks on UN schools during Israel’s assault on Gaza in 7–8/2014 led to 44 Palestinian deaths and 227 injuries. It also found that 3 UN facilities were used by Palestinian groups for weapons storage. (HA, MNA 4/27; EI 4/28)

Iranian FM Zarif meets with U.S. Secy. of State Kerry to continue their negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, on the sidelines of a UN nonproliferation conference in New York. (REU 4/27; AP 4/28)

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces conduct simultaneous limited incursions e. of Dayr al-Balah and e. of Khan Yunis to level land. In the West Bank, Israeli forces deliver demolition notices for a tent and a barn in a village nr. Hebron. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron and a village nr. Ramallah, arresting 6 Palestinians; patrols in Tulkarm, 3 villages nr. Ramallah, and 1 each nr. Jenin, Hebron, and Jericho. An Israeli settler rams a car into 4 Palestinian women on a road nr. Qalqilya, injuring all of them. Israeli settlers uproot 450 olive trees nr. Salfit; enter Nablus to perform religious rites, sparking minor clashes between their IDF escort and Palestinian youth. (MNA, WAFA 4/21; HA, MNA, TOI 4/22; PCHR 4/23)

The PA announces that it will be paying its employees their full salaries for 4/2015 as well as the remaining 40% that was deducted in 1–3/2015 during Israel’s tax revenue freeze. (WAFA 4/22)

At a meeting of the UNSC, French and British diplomats urge the council to pass a res. setting parameters for a new round of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. Also, New Zealand’s amb. to the UN Jim McLay announces that his office is working on a separate draft res. that he plans to propose to the UNSC, adding that he hasn’t seen the French draft res. (JP, REU 4/21; AFP, AP, RT, TOI 4/22; WAFA 4/23)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Jabaliya fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers approaching the border fence, causing no damage or injuries. Off the coast nr. Jabaliya and later nr. Khan Yunis, Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing damage. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and raids at night in and around Bethlehem, Hebron, and 1 village each nr. Jericho and Jenin, arresting 13 Palestinians; patrols in 5 villages nr. Ramallah and al-Fawar r. c. nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces deliver demolition notices to 2 Palestinian homes; arrest 4 Palestinians on night raids in Silwan. (WAFA 4/19; EI 4/22; PCHR 4/23)

A PA unity govt. delegation travels to Gaza to address the ongoing wage crisis. Inter alia, they are tasked with counting the number of PA employees from before 2007 to determine how many of the Hamas-run govt.’s civil servants hired after 2007 can remain employed. Meanwhile, the Gaza Chamber of Commerce organizes a hearing about the National Solidarity Tax Law, which Hamas passed on 4/18 to levy a new import tax on “non-basic” goods. A number of local merchants criticize the new law, saying they will have to reduce their imports. (AFP, TOI 4/19; TOI 4/21, 4/22)

A PA court rules corruption charges against exiled Fatah leader Mohammad Dahlan “inadmissible,” concluding a high-profile trial that began in 12/2014. (AFP, MNA 4/19)

In the Gaza Strip, a mbr. of Hamas’s armed wing, IQB, dies of injuries sustained in Gaza City on 7/29/2014, during OPE. Also, a 3-story building in Dayr al-Balah collapses after being damaged during OPE last year. Meanwhile, Egyptian security forces shoot and injure a Palestinian exiting a tunnel on the Egyptian side of the border nr. Rafah. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a synagogue in a settlement outpost nr. Hebron early in the morning. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in Nablus, a nearby village, and Balata r.c., arresting 31 Palestinians, most affiliated with Hamas. They also arrest a Palestinian on a raid in al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Jenin and patrol in 3 villages each nr. Hebron and Tulkarm, and 1 nr. Jenin. Nr. East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a mobile home in Bayt Hanina. In Israel, an Israeli man assaults a Palestinian worker from Jenin in a shop in Umm al-Fahm. Israeli forces demolish 3 structures in an unrecognized bedouin village in the Negev. (JP, MNA, WAFA 4/14; HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 4/15; HA, PCHR 4/16)

Israel’s COGAT Mordechai announces that starting today, Palestinian vehicles from the West Bank will be allowed to enter Jerusalem. In the 1st of 2 planned stages, over 100 Palestinian doctors are allowed to enter. Unrestricted travel for Palestinian businessmen and women will follow in the next phase. Palestinian cars have been banned from Jerusalem since the onset of the 2d intifada in 2000. (JP, MNA 4/14; HA 4/15)

In Syria, Palestinian residents of Yarmouk r.c. report that ISIS has begun retreating from previously held positions in the camp. Meanwhile, UNRWA sets up a distribution mission in a village nr. the camp to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees fleeing Yarmouk. (AFP, WAFA 4/14)

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Comm. unanimously approves, 19–0, an amended version of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, which would give Congress an opportunity to approve or disapprove of any agreement made between the P5+1 and Iran and increase congressional oversight on verification of the deal. The bill is now available for a vote on the Senate floor. (AP, HA, NYT, POL, REU 4/14; AP, HA, MDW, TOI 4/15)

Off the coast of Gaza nr. al-Sudaniyya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces confiscate a bulldozer in e. Nablus that Palestinians were using to open a road in the area. Elsewhere, IDF troops injure a Palestinian child and confiscate several solar panels in a raid in a bedouin village nr. Abu Dis. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in 1 village nr. Ramallah, ‘Askar r.c. nr. Nablus, and al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Tubas, arresting 8 Palestinians and sparking clashes in which 2 more are injured; patrols in 3 villages nr. Hebron during the day. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct a raid in the Old City, arresting 1 Palestinian. (MNA, WAFA 4/1; MNA, PCHR 4/2; PCHR 4/9)

In The Hague, Palestinian FM Riyad al-Maliki attends an induction ceremony at the ICC, marking the Palestine’s official membership at the court. Meanwhile, a German delegation is in Gaza to meet with reps. of Hamas and to discuss the possibility of a long-term cease-fire with Israel. (AFP, HA, JP, MNA, NYT, WAFA 4/1; ALM 4/14)

PA Finance Min. Shukri Bishara announces that PA employees earning more than NIS 2,000 ($515) per mo. will only receive 60% of their salaries for 3/2015 on 4/2, despite the Israeli govt.’s 3/27 pledge to unfreeze the transfers of tax revenues collected on behalf of the PA. This will be the 4th mo. in a row that PA employees have received reduced salaries. (REU, WAFA 4/1)

In Syria, fighters affiliated with ISIS conduct an assault on Yarmouk r.c. outside Damascus. During a day of intense fighting, they take control of large areas of the camp, casting further uncertainty over the fate of the approximately 18,000 Palestinian refugees and other civilian residents. (AFP, MNA 4/1; WAFA 4/2)

Egypt’s cabinet approves a new res. designed to crack down on smuggling tunnels from Gaza into Egypt, which would make tunnel digging, or knowledge of tunnel digging, punishable by life imprisonment and home confiscation. The res. will be passed by presidential decree on 4/12. (HA, MNA 4/3; EN 4/12; TOI 4/13)

In a letter to U.S. Pres. Obama, 79 Democratic mbrs. of Congress encourage the continued pursuit of a 2-state solution despite Israeli PM Netanyahu’s controversial campaign rhetoric. (AFP, JTA, TOI 4/1; POL 4/2)

After a 1-day extension to their 3/31 political framework agreement deadline, reps. of the P5 +1 and Iran agree to another extension until 4/2. (HA, REU, TOI, YA 4/1; HA, REU 4/2)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis fire on a group of Palestinians approaching the border fence, causing 3 to suffer from tear gas inhalation. Separately, IDF troops stationed e. of Rafah open fire on agricultural lands nr. the border fence, causing damage. In 2 incidents off the coast nr. Jabaliya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at demonstrations to commemorate Land Day, upcoming on 3/30, and protest Israel’s occupation in 6 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, Silwad, outside Ofer Prison, and Jalazun r.c.), and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; 10 Palestinians are moderately injured. The Israeli soldiers also cut off a main waterline into Kafr Qaddum, denying the village water for several hours. IDF troops also violently disperse Palestinian and international activists gathering in Abu Dis at the site of the “Gate of Jerusalem” protest tent camp. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in and around Hebron, arresting 1 Palestinian; conducts patrols in 2 villages nr. Hebron and 1 each nr. Jenin and Jericho. (MNA 3/27; PCHR 4/2)

The Israeli PM’s office announces that it is unfreezing tax revenue transfers to the PA that it has held as a punitive response to the Palestinian accession to the ICC since 1/2015. A statement announcing the move says that the total will be reduced by an undisclosed amount to pay portions of the PA’s debts to Israeli utility providers, such as the IEC. The PA FM criticizes the announced deductions, saying in a statement that they are “an unjustified and illegal procedure that could cause complications.” (AP, HA, JP, NYT, TOI 3/27; AFP, WAFA 3/28; JP 3/29)

French FM Fabius announces that, now that the 3/17 Israeli election has passed, he plans to explore the prospect of introducing another United Nations Security Council (UNSC) res. laying out parameters for a new round of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. Meanwhile, an EU spokesperson announces that Hamas will remain a designated terrorist organization pending a decision on an appeal of the General Court’s 12/17/2014 removal of Hamas from the list. Similarly, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, which the U.S. claims funneled money to Hamas, has been removed from the list since it was last published in 7/2014. (AFP, AP, HA, REU, TOI 3/27; AFP 3/28)

The PA unity govt. delegation led by PM Hamdallah meets with Fatah and Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip, concluding its 3-day trip. (MNA 3/26) The Egyptian attorney, Samir Sabri, who filed the original motion to designate Hamas a terrorist organization in Egypt withdraws his case, saying he hopes to remove “obstacles which Egypt’s political leadership might face in serving its role in the Palestinian reconciliation.” The Court of Urgent Matters, which designated Hamas a terrorist organization 2/28, is expected to reconsider its initial ruling, though it was only in part based on Sabri’s motion. (AHR, MNA 3/27)

The 28th regular session of the UNHRC concludes today after a mo. of meetings, with the council having agreed on 3 res. on the Palestinians. They reaffirm the Palestinians’ right to self-determination, confirm Palestinian rights to sovereignty over their natural resources, and condemn ongoing settlement growth in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. (TOI 3/27; MNA 3/28)

PA Pres. Abbas arrives in Sharm al-Shaykh, Egypt, to participate in an Arab League summit on 3/28 and 3/29. Ahead of the summit, the Arab League agrees to send a delegation to Washington to lobby the U.S. Congress and promote the Arab Peace Initiative. (WAFA 2/25; MNA 3/27; HA 3/28)

In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 9 Palestinians in agricultural areas nr. Jenin. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in and around Hebron, and 1 village each nr. Jenin and Ramallah, issuing arrest summons to 5 Palestinians and sparking light clashes; patrols in 1 village each nr. Ramallah, Hebron, and Jericho, and in nearby ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. Israeli settlers uproot 70 olive trees in a village nr. Hebron and, separately, uproot a number of saplings in a village nr. Bethlehem. (HA, MNA, WAFA 3/14; PCHR 3/19)

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar says that PA Pres. Abbas has neglected his obligation to hold elections within 6 mos. of the PA unity govt.’s formation of 6/2/2014. Hamas also releases a series of videos purportedly depicting PA agents confessing to sharing information with Israel and admitting responsibility for a series of recent car attacks in Gaza. The PA dismisses the claims. (AFP 3/14; AP, EI, JP, MNA 3/15)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man from al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Tubas succumbs to injuries sustained during an IDF raid of his home in 2008. Israeli forces demolish 5 residences and a sheep barn in a village nr. Hebron; continue leveling land in a village nr. Bethlehem to eventually expand a nearby Israeli industrial zone. IDF troops clash with residents of a village n. of Jerusalem and 1 nr. Ramallah, injuring 9 with rubber-coated metal bullets and arresting 4; violently disperse Palestinian students demonstrating outside Ofer Prison in Ramallah, injuring 7 with rubber-coated metal bullets and arresting 1; 2 Israeli soldiers are lightly injured in the ensuing clashes. The IDF also conducts house searches and raids in 1 village each nr. Jenin, Hebron, and Qalqilya, as well as in Nablus, arresting 4 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 1; patrols in and around Tulkarm, and 1 village nr. Jenin; arrests 2 Palestinians while they are working in an Israeli settlement nr. Bethlehem. Israeli settlers erect 8 mobile homes on Palestinian land s. of Nablus, establishing a settlement outpost; throw stones at a Palestinian’s car nr. Nablus, causing minor damage. Nr. Nablus, armed Palestinians set fire to tires e. of Balata r.c. in protest of the recent PASF crackdown in the area. IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers working nr. the border fence, causing no injuries. Israeli forces also conduct a limited incursion e. of Dayr al-Balah to level land. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces level land in a closed military zone nr. Qalandia, sparking clashes with residents; 9 Palestinians are injured with live ammunition and dozens are lightly injured with rubber-coated metal bullets. Israeli forces also level land on the e. outskirts of Issawiyya, clearing the area for construction of an Israeli national park; demolish temporary bedouin shelters that were funded by the EU. (MNA 3/9; AFP, HA, MNA, WAFA 3/10; AFP, MNA, WAFA 3/11; PCHR 3/12)

A group of Palestinians in Israeli prisons cancels its plans, announced on 3/9, to begin a series of demonstrations on 3/10 in protest of the poor conditions. According to Al Jazeera, the move comes after the group makes a preliminary deal with the Israel Prison Service (IPS), allowing for more frequent family visits, but an IPS official will refute the report on 3/11. (AJ 3/10; JP 3/11; PNN 3/12)

In the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, an IDF officeris lightly injured from gunfire emanating from Syria nr. Qunaytra. Meanwhile, senior United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) official Pierre Krähenbühl accompanies a convoy of aid into Yarmouk r.c. in Syria, the 1st shipment of assistance to the camp’s 18,000 occupants in 3 mos. (HA, JP, TOI, YA 3/10; MNA 3/11)

In Gaza, the chair of Qatar’s Comm. to Rebuild Gaza, Mohammed al-Emadi announces a series of new projects to build 1,000 housing units in Gaza, and that the 1st shipment of materials—4 truckloads of cement—arrived from Israel today. They will be funded through disbursals of the $1 b. Qatar pledged at the 10/12/2014 Gaza reconstruction conference in Cairo. (AFP, NYT 3/10; MEMO, REU 3/11; IMEMC 3/12; YA 3/13)

In Gaza, Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for the 1st time since 1/22 (it will remain open until 3/10). Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian’s home nr. Tulkarm; deliver demolition notices to several residential buildings in a village n. of Jerusalem. The IDF conducts a military drill in c. Hebron and soldiers fire tear gas at Palestinian bystanders; house searches and raids in Nablus, 1 village each nr. Qalqilya, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Jenin, arresting 21 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 4; patrols in 4 areas nr. Ramallah and 1 village nr. Hebron. Israeli settlers destroy over 40 olive trees nr. Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces deliver demolition notices to several buildings nr. Qalandia. (JP, MNA, WAFA 3/9; MNA, TOI 3/10; PCHR 3/12)

Hamas in Gaza releases a statement criticizing the PASF’s arrest of over 100 Hamas affiliates in the past 2 weeks, including 40 on 3/8. They accuse the PA unity govt. of using the arrests as retaliation for the detention of senior Fatah official Mamoun Sweidan in Gaza over the past few days. (MNA, YA 3/9)

Led by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), 47 Republican senators sign and release an open letter to the leaders of Iran. It says that they will consider any agreement the Obama admin. signs with the P5+1 in their negotiations with Iran to be merely an executive agreement, and that such an agreement could be revoked or modified in the future. Meanwhile, IAEA officials arrive in Tehran for talks on Iran’s nuclear program, specifically the results of the IAEA’s recent (2/19) report on Iran’s compliance with the JPOA, which governs its negotiations with the P5+1. (AFP, AP, JP, MDW, TOI 3/9; AP, TOI 3/10)

In separate incidents off the coast of Gaza nr. al-Sudaniyya and Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing damage but no injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces destroy several tents and corrugated tin dwellings in the Jordan Valley. Nr. Nablus, unknown assailants open fire on an IDF jeep, causing light damage. The IDF increases restrictions at checkpoints nr. Nablus in response. The IDF also conducts raids in a village nr. Hebron, arresting 1 Palestinian; patrols in 2 villages nearby. Israeli settlers light 2 Palestinian vehicles on fire nr. Ramallah and leave price-tag graffiti in the area. In East Jerusalem, 56 Israeli settlers tour Haram al-Sharif to commemorate the Jewish holiday Purim. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/4; HA, PCHR, TOI 3/5; PCHR 3/12)

The PA Finance Ministry confirms that Israel’s freeze on tax revenue transfers to the PA is continuing for a 3d mo. and that, as a result, the PA can only afford to pay many of its employees 60% of their salaries. Employees who earn less than NIS 2,000 (around $500) per mo. will be fully paid on 3/5. (MNA, WAFA 3/4)

Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Yoav Mordechai, announces that the amount of water annually allowed into the Gaza Strip will be doubled from 5 to 10 million m3 . (HA, MNA, TOI 3/4)

The Palestinian Central Council (PCC) meets in Ramallah to discuss several issues, including the PA’s economic crisis and the possibility of suspending or cutting security coordination with Israel. At the request of PA Pres. Abbas, they review the interim agreements made with Israel in the 1990s that created the PA. Abbas says that he recently turned down an Israeli offer to unfreeze the transfers of tax revenues in exchange for the Palestinians abandoning their efforts at the International Criminal Court (ICC). (AFP, JP, TOI, WAFA, YA 3/4)

The day after Israeli PM Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) says that Congress should not pass new sanctions-related legislation until the negotiators have had a chance to produce an agreement. Also, 10 senators send a letter to Majority Leader McConnell criticizing his procedural move on 3/3 to circumvent comm. consideration of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act. (HA, JTA 3/5)

In c. Gaza, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian homes nr. the border fence, causing damage. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Bethlehem, sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents in both and arresting 2 in the former. They also patrol in 1 village each nr. Ramallah and Qalqilya, and 2 areas nr. Hebron; arrest a Palestinian man n. of Hebron who attempted to stab an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint; assault a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Jenin. The IDF violently disperses Palestinian and international activists nonviolently protesting in 2 villages nr. Qalqilya, detaining 2 Palestinians, moderately injuring 2, and lightly injuring several. Israeli forces deliver demolition notices to a school and 2 homes in Hebron. Israeli settlers deface the walls of a Palestinian school nr. Nablus, leaving price-tag graffiti. Separately, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian youth from another village nr. Nablus, forcing him to remove his clothes in the cold weather. In East Jerusalem, Jewish Israelis set fire to a Greek Orthodox seminary and leave price-tag graffiti. An Israeli court bans 4 Palestinian women from entering Haram al-Sharif for periods ranging from 10 to 60 days. They were detained on 2/25. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 2/26; MNA 2/28; PCHR 3/5)

The IEC agrees to stop cutting power to areas in the West Bank (as it did on 2/23 and 2/25) in exchange for the Israeli govt.’s promise to offset the Palestinians’ debts with the tax revenues that it has punitively withheld from the PA since 1/2. The PM’s office also announces a deal that will connect Rawabi, the 1st planned Palestinian city, to the water grid, enabling new residents to move in to the city. The agreement will also connect several Israeli settlements in the area to the grid. (HA, TOI 2/26; NYT 2/27)

On the 6 mo. anniversary of the 8/16 cease-fire that ended Operation Protective Edge (OPE), 30 UN agencies and other international organizations in Gaza jointly express their alarm at the slow pace of reconstruction and the dire conditions in the Strip. In their statement, they say, “We must not fail Gaza,” and that “since 7/2014, the situation has deteriorated dramatically.” (WAFA 2/26)

The Jordanian and Israeli govts. sign a deal that will govern the construction of a pipeline to link the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, the 1st phase of a Dead Sea revitalization project that has been debated and discussed for over a decade. They plan to begin preparing tenders to offer to construction companies in the coming weeks. They ultimately plan to build a desalinization plant n. of Aqaba, Jordan. In 12/2013, reps. of Jordan, Israel, and the PA signed a memorandum of understanding at the World Bank to guide their joint efforts on the project. (AFP, TOI 2/26)

In Gaza, IDF troops e. of Dayr al-Balah fire warning shots at farmers approaching the border fence, causing no injuries or damage. In the West Bank, IDF troops on a patrol clash with stone-throwing Palestinians nr. Bethlehem, causing several to suffer from tear gas inhalation. They also arrest a Palestinian during a patrol in c. Hebron, a Palestinian with a mental disability outside Jenin, and a Palestinian woman at a checkpoint nr. Jenin. Israeli forces install iron gates at a major checkpoint nr. Bethlehem; demolish a water well nr. Hebron.Israeli settlers uproot 100 olive saplings in Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces detain 4 Palestinian women as they are leaving Haram al-Sharif. An Israeli settlement security guard hits a Palestinian girl with his car in Silwan, moderately injuring her. (MNA, WAFA 2/25; MNA, PCHR 2/26)

For the 2d time in a week, the state-owned IEC cuts electricity to the Nablus and Jenin districts of the West Bank for 1 hour, due to the Palestinians’ unpaid debts. The IEC warns that, without payment, it will continue with these cuts. (HA, MNA, WAFA 2/25; WAFA 2/26)

Senior PA official Shaath tells the Turkish Anadolu Agency that the PA recently requested that the EU reactivate their revolving fund agreement and provide loans equal to the amount of funds that Israel is freezing in transfers of tax revenues. They signed the agreement in 1995 and activated it twice before, in 1995 and from 1998 to 2001. (MEMO 2/25)

The EU and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announce the completion of the 1st of 4 components of a €10 m. desalinization project—18 km of pipeline— that is set to provide potable water to over 75,000 people in Gaza. (EU press release, WAFA 2/25)

Israeli PM Netanyahu says that he still intends to address the U.S. Congress on 3/3, despite increasingly urgent protests from the Obama admin. (AFP, AM, HA, TOI, YA 2/25)

In 2 separate incidents in the Gaza Strip, IDF troops e. of Khan Yunis and along the n. border open fire with live ammunition on Palestinian farmers working nr. the fence, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli authorities release 14-year-old Palestinian Malak al-Khatib from prison after arresting her on 12/31 for throwing stones and possessing a knife, the latter being a charge added after the arrest. The IDF violently disperses Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 5 areas nr. Ramallah (Jalazun r.c., Silwad, Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum); 1 Palestinian is seriously injured with live ammunition in Kafr Qaddum and 1 is arrested in Bil‘in. The IDF also patrols nr. Qalqilya, Jericho, and Ramallah. PA security forces conduct raids and house searches in 2 villages around Hebron, detaining 27 people. (MEMO, MNA 2/13; AFP, HA, MNA 2/14; PCHR 2/19)

On a visit to Luxembourg, PA Pres. Abbas says that he will be forced to “take harsh steps” if Israel does not unfreeze the transfers of tax revenues collected on behalf of the PA for the last 2 mos., denying the PA over $200 m. (MNA, WAFA 2/14)

In the Gaza Strip, dozens of Palestinian students gather in Gaza City to protest the killing of 3 U.S. Muslims in North Carolina on 2/11. In the West Bank, Palestinian and international activists rebuild the “Gate of Jerusalem” tent camp in Abu Dis after the IDF demolished and evacuated it for the 5th time on 2/10. Another group of Palestinian activists tears down an iron gate at the entrance of a village nr. Bethlehem that was installed by the IDF in 2001. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Nur Shams r.c.; patrols nr. Qalqilya and Hebron. IDF troops disperse Palestinian activists holding a sit-in protest at a checkpoint nr. Ramallah, detaining dozens. Israeli forces level land outside a village nr. Qalqilya, clearing the area for settlement expansion. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct vehicle searches in Silwan, sparking clashes with youth in the area; 3 Palestinians are assaulted and arrested. (MNA, WAFA 2/12; PCHR 2/19)

After a meeting between PA PM Hamdallah and Nablus gov. Akram al-Rajub about the recent PA security crackdown in Balata r.c., 7 wanted Palestinians from the camp turn themselves in to PA custody. (MNA 2/12)

Israel’s CEC votes 27–6 to disqualify MK Zoabi (Balad) from the upcoming election on 3/17, responding to a petition alleging that Zoabi supports armed conflict against Israel. The petition was delivered to the CEC by the Yisrael Beytenu party on 1/29 with the support of the Likud, Shas, and Jewish Home parties. Prior to the vote, the joint list led by MKs Herzog (Labor) and Livni (Hatnua) ultimately decides to support the petition. (HA, JP, TOI 2/12; AFP 2/13)

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli authorities detain a Palestinian businessman as he is passing through the Erez border crossing. In the West Bank, after Palestinian and international activists rebuild the “Gate of Jerusalem” protest camp over the last few days, IDF troops raid the camp and pass along a 24-hour evacuation notice, demolishing the camp for a 5th time late at night. IDF troops raid the home of a deceased Palestinian in Hebron, confiscating NIS 50,000 (around $13,000) and issuing a summons to his father. The man was killed in a firefight with Israeli soldiers on 9/22 after he and 2 others kidnapped and killed 3 Israeli settler teenagers in 6/2014. Israeli forces raze 30 dunams of land nr. Bethlehem, preparing the area for the expansion of nearby Efrat settlement. The IDF conducts arrest raids and house searches nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Bethlehem; patrols nr. Hebron, Tulkarm, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a home in Silwan, displacing 14 Palestinians; deliver 3 demolition orders to families in Silwan. They also arrest a Palestinian at the Shu‘fat checkpoint. In c. Israel, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian family’s home in Lydda. (MNA, WAFA 2/10; EI, JP, MNA, WAFA 2/11; PCHR 2/12)

PA Pres. Abbas meets with the Swedish PM Stefan Lofven in Stockholm, then inaugurates a new Palestinian embassy. Lofven announces a new aid program that will see 1.5 b. kronor (around $180 m.) spent on projects that help fight corruption, promote gender equality and human rights under the PA. (AFP 2/9; REU, WAFA 2/10)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops e. of al-Maghazi open fire on a Palestinian tending to lemon trees nr. the border fence, causing a moderate injury and then arresting him. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 5 Palestinians at a checkpoint nr. Jenin; assault a Palestinian university student nearby, causing moderate injuries. They also assault a group of Palestinians peacefully protesting outside an Israeli settlement nr. Bethlehem. IDF troops open fire on a Palestinian nr. Bethlehem after he drives his car toward them. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Bethlehem, Salfit, Hebron, and Tulkarm; patrols in al-Fawar r.c., as well as nr. Hebron and Qalqilya. Palestinians throw stones at IDF troops patrolling nr. Ramallah, injuring 1. In East Jerusalem, unknown assailants throw bottles at Israeli settlers’ buildings in Shaykh Jarrah and Ras al-Amud, causing damage but no injuries. Later, unknown assailants burn 6 Palestinianowned cars in Silwan and Abu Tor. Israeli forces conduct arrest raids and house searches in Ras al-Amud. In West Jerusalem, dozens of Palestinians from al-Tur, East Jerusalem, gather outside the municipal govt. offices to protest the increased arrests of Palestinian children. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 2/8; HA, WAFA 2/9; PCHR 2/12)

UNRWA’s office in Gaza announces that over the next week it will distribute $1.1 m. in cash payments to around 800 families whose homes were partially or completely destroyed during OPE. On 1/27, the office suspended its cash assistance program, which served these same families. Meanwhile, the PA Finance Ministry announces that, for the 2d mo. in a row, PA employees whose monthly wage is NIS 2,000 (around $520) or more will receive only 60% of their salary, and those with lower wages will receive their entire salary. (MNA, WAFA 2/8)

On the sidelines of the security conference in Munich, U.S. Secy. of State Kerry meets with reps. of the 3 other mbrs. of the Middle East Quartet. In a statement, they call for a resumption of peace negotiations and for all parties to avoid actions that may “prejudice final status issues.” (REU, TOI, YA 2/8)

Also at the Munich conference, Kerry and Iranian FM Zarif discuss the negotiations over Iran’s disputed nuclear program. Both Kerry and Zarif affirm that they do not want to extend the negotiations again. Zarif also meets with FMs of the rest of the P5+1. (AFP, HA, REU, TOI 2/8; ALM 2/12)

In the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian man at the European Hospital in Khan Yunis succumbs to injuries sustained in an Israeli air strike on 8/3/2014 during OPE. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish and evacuate the tent camp “Gate of Jerusalem” after Palestinian and international activists rebuild it in Abu Dis for the 4th time. In separate incidents, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian and international activists protesting outside Ofer military prison nr. Ramallah and in a village nr. Hebron, causing no injuries. The IDF conducts house searches and raids nr. Jenin and Hebron; patrols nr. Ramallah, Tulkarm, Hebron, and in al-Fawar r.c.; arrests 1 Palestinian outside al-Ibrahimi Mosque in c. Hebron. Israeli settlers park 5 mobile homes in a Palestinian village nr. Nablus, establishing a new outpost. Separately, an Israeli settler opens fire on Palestinian cars driving in the area, causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid in the Old City. (MNA, WAFA 2/7)

PA Pres. Abbas establishes a special comm. to oversee cases to bring to the ICC, and senior PLO official Erakat will serve as its chair. (AFP, HA, WAFA 2/7)

The Jerusalem Planning and Construction Comm. approves a call for bids to build 64 new residences in the Ramot settlement in East Jerusalem. (MNA 2/7)

In the Gaza Strip, unknown assailants destroy the car of a senior Hamas official with explosives in Nussayrat r.c. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, after Palestinian and international activists rebuild the “Gate of Jerusalem” tent camp in Abu Dis, Israeli forces return to the area and deliver a 24-hour eviction notice. Hours later, they demolish and evacuate the camp for a 3d time. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in Jalazun r.c. and 4 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, Silwad, and Ni‘lin), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), injuring 3 Palestinians with rubber-coated metal bullets and 1 with a tear gas canister. IDF troops also arrest 2 Palestinian boys tending sheep nr. Hebron and 3 others tending their land nr. Qalqilya. The IDF patrols nr. Ramallah, Jenin, Hebron, as well as in al-‘Arub r.c. and Salfit. Israeli settlers open fire with live ammunition on Palestinians peacefully protesting nr. Bayt Umar, causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct a house search in Ras al-Amud, arresting 1 Palestinian. (IMEMC, MNA 2/6; TOI 2/7; PCHR 2/12)

Israeli PM Netanyahu orders the implementation of a plan that will include the destruction of around 400 Palestinian-owned and EU-funded structures in the West Bank. The order follows the 2/5 publication of a report in the Daily Mail on EU funding of Palestinian projects that do not have the correct licenses under Israeli law. (DM 2/5; TOI 2/6; WAFA 2/8)

U.S. VP Joseph R. Biden announces that he will not attend Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on 3/3. (AP, JDF 2/6)

On the sidelines of a security conference in Munich, reps. of the P5+1 and Iran discuss Iran’s disputed nuclear program ahead of their end of 3/2015 political accord deadline. U.S. Secy. of State Kerry and Iranian FM Zarif also meet to discuss how sanctions would be lifted under a possible deal and how many centrifuges Iran would be permitted to keep operational. (REU 2/6; JP, TOI 2/7; AFP 2/8)

In the Gaza Strip, a bomb explodes in an Egyptian troop transport in the n. Sinai Peninsula along the border with Gaza. Then, Egyptian soldiers open fire on 2 Palestinian military posts across the border nr. Rafah, causing no injuries. The Hamas-run govt. in Gaza says that it was not involved in the initial bombing, while Egyptian authorities blame Hamas for the bombing. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. Meanwhile, dozens of Palestinian refugees gather in front of the Ministry of Labor, protesting the lack of jobs in the Strip. In the West Bank, around 250 Palestinian and international activists set up a tent camp, named “Gate of Jerusalem,” in Abu Dis to protest the Israeli govt.’s settlement policies and its plans to displace Palestinian bedouins in the E1 area. Late at night, Israeli soldiers raid the camp and later return to demolish it and forcibly remove the activists. IDF troops conduct late-night house searches and arrest raids nr. Hebron and ‘Aqabat Jabir r.c.; patrols nr. Hebron, Jenin, Jericho, and Qalqilya. They also deliver demolition notices to the Palestinian owners of 3 tents and 2 barns nr. Ramallah. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers, accompanied by IDF troops, break into a Palestinian residential complex nr. Bethlehem and erect Israeli flags. In East Jerusalem, over 20 right-wing Jewish activists accompanied by 12 Israeli police enter Haram al-Sharif and tour the area. During a patrol in the Old City, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian. (AFP, REU, WAFA 2/3; MNA, WAFA 2/4; PCHR 2/5)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops e. of c. Gaza arrest 4 Palestinians as they attempt to cross the border fence into Israel. In 4 separate incidents off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing damage. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse with tear gas and rubbercoated metal bullets dozens of Palestinians protesting Israeli pres. Rivlin’s visit to c. Hebron, injuring 1. Rivlin gives an inauguration speech at a Jewish history museum. It is the 1st visit to Hebron for a sitting Israeli pres. since 1998. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Salfit, Hebron, Jenin, Jericho, and in ‘Aqabat Jabir r.c; patrols nr. Qalqilya and Hebron. They also arrest a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Bethlehem who is on his way to visit his brother in prison. An Israeli settler deliberately rams his car into a car full of PA security forces outside al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, injuring 7. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces patrol nr. a school in al-Tur, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youth; 4 of the Palestinians are arrested and dozens suffer from tear gas inhalation. An Israeli settler hits a Palestinian woman with his car nr. the Old City, moderately injuring her. (MNA, WAFA 2/2; AFP, WAFA 2/3; PCHR 2/5; EI 2/6)

The Jordanian govt. returns its amb. to Tel Aviv today after he was recalled on 11/5/2014 following serious clashes at the site that day and the Israeli govt.’s closing of Haram al-Sharif on 10/30. (AFP, HA, JP 2/2)

William Schabas resigns after 5 mos. as head of the 3-mbr. UNHRC’s commission investigating possible war crimes committed during OPE. In his resignation letter, Schabas cites Israeli allegations of bias and says he does not want to detract from the report’s findings. Israeli PM Netanyahu calls for the inquiry to be shelved, but UN officials say it will continue, as scheduled. (AJ, REU 2/2; AFP, WAFA 2/3)

In the Gaza Strip, unknown assailants throw a grenade into the home of Fatah Asst. Dep. of the Palestinian Civil Affairs Ministry Nasser al-Sarraj. The grenade does not explode and no one is injured. In 2 separate incidents off the coast nr. Gaza City and Jabaliya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing damage to 1 boat. IDF troops e. of Rafah detain 2 armed Palestinians as they attempt to cross the border fence into Israel. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a water distribution network that services the n. Jordan Valley, as well as a house and a barn nr. Hebron. Sparked by an IDF raid in c. Bayt Umar nr. Hebron, Palestinian residents clash with the Israeli troops, lightly injuring 1 soldier. Nearby, IDF troops shoot tear gas canisters at Palestinian youth as they leave an UNRWA school. The IDF also conducts arrest raids and house searches nr. Hebron and Ramallah; patrols nr. Hebron, Jenin, Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, an Israeli settler attempts to kidnap a Palestinian child in Jabal Mukabir. The IDF conducts arrest raids and house searches in al-Tur, Ras al-Amud, and Ras Khamis. (MNA, WAFA 1/29; JTA 1/30; PCHR 2/5)

UN Special Coordinator Serry’s office (UNSCO) releases a statement announcing that the UN is going to review its operations in Gaza after the violent, Hamas-organized protest outside its headquarters on 1/28. The statement also blames Hamas for not adequately providing security for the protest. The UNSCO has been principally in charge of facilitating the UNadministered reconstruction procedure and mediating between the Israeli authorities, Hamas, and Palestinians in need of support after OPE. (HA 1/30)

The Israel Electric Corporation announces that it will begin intermittently cutting power to the West Bank at the end of the mo. due to the PA’s outstanding debts, which total around NIS 1.8 m. (around $458 m.). (MEMO, YA 1/29) 

Yisrael Beytenu delivers a petition to the Central Elections Comm. (CEC) calling for the disqualification of MK Haneen Zoabi from the 3/17 elections on the basis of her support for boycott and armed resistance against Israel. (HA, JP 1/29)

The U.S. Senate Banking Comm. votes, 18–4, to pass the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2015, which Sens. Menendez (D-NJ) and Kirk (R-IL) introduced on 1/27. A White House spokesperson consequently reaffirms Pres. Obama’s pledge to veto the bill. (AFP, REU 1/28; AP, YA 1/29)

Seventy-five U.S. sens. sign on to a letter, initiated by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), to U.S. Secy. of State Kerry calling for a suspension of aid to the PA while the Obama admin. reviews the Palestinians’ accession to the ICC. (JTA 1/30)

In the Gaza Strip, around 200 Palestinians violently protest outside the UN’s headquarters in Gaza City against UNRWA’s 1/27 suspension of its cash assistance program. The protest was organized by a Hamas comm. IDF troops e. of Khan Yunis open fire on agricultural lands, causing damage. Unknown assailants set fire to a Fatah official’s car in Gaza City. Also, dozens of Palestinian health professionals gather outside the Ministry of Health building to protest unpaid salaries. In the West Bank, a Palestinian youth is moderately injured when he sets off a piece of unexploded Israeli ordnance left over after recent IDF exercises nr. ‘Ayn al-Hilwa in the Jordan Valley. The IDF conducts arrest raids and house searches nr. Hebron and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, IDF troops conduct house searches and arrest raids in the Old City. An Israeli settler attempts to kidnap a Palestinian youth in Silwan, moderately injuring him in the attack. (AFP, MNA, WAFA 1/28; HA, MNA, PCHR 1/29; HA 1/30; PCHR 2/5)

Hours after the IDF retaliated to projectile fire from Syria on 1/27, Hizballah fighters fire an antitank missile from inside Lebanon at an IDF convoy in a disputed area along the border nr. Shaba‘ Farms, killing 2 soldiers and injuring 7. The IDF responds with artillery fire, killing a Spanish peacekeeper with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). About an hour later, Hizballah fires mortars at several IDF positions in the area, causing no injuries. The IDF responds again by firing between 25 and 50 artillery shells and conducting IAF flyovers. Following the exchange, Hizballah and the Israeli govt. then exchange messages through UNIFIL expressing the desire to avoid further escalation. (AFP, BBC, HA, JP, MNA, TOI 1/28)

U.S. House of Reps. minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) calls Israeli PM Netanyahu and asks him to postpone or cancel his planned 3/3 congressional address. Netanyahu also speaks to Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV), the minority leader, and Chuck Schumer (D-NY), a prominent supporter of Israel. (RC 1/28; JP 1/29; HA 1/30)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops e. of Khan Yunis open fire on Palestinian farmers nr. the border fence, causing damage. Meanwhile, unknown assailants set fire to the Dept. of Prisoners Affairs building in Jabaliya r.c., causing moderate damage. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians protesting the closure of the entrance to their village nr. Ramallah. In the ensuing clashes, 3 Palestinians are injured with rubber-coated metal bullets. The IDF conducts house searches, arrest raids, and patrols nr. Jenin and Hebron. They also arrest 3 Palestinians at a checkpoint nr. Jenin. Israeli authorities deliver demolition notices to a village nr. Hebron for 2 animal barns and a residential building. Dozens of Palestinian youth throw stones at an IDF watchtower s. of Bethlehem, sparking clashes in which 1 Palestinian is moderately injured and detained. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct house searches and arrests in the Old City. (MNA, WAFA 1/27; PCHR 1/29)

UNRWA suspends the operation of its cash assistance program in Gaza, which provides aid for the 96,000 refugee families whose homes were partially or completely destroyed during OPE. Director of Operations Robert Turner says that the agency has received only $135 m. of the $720 m. pledged by international donors. (+972, AFP, REU 1/27)

From Syria, 4 rockets are fired into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and 2 land nr. the Hermon ski resort, causing no injuries. The IDF responds by firing 20 artillery shells into Syria. Meanwhile, Iran sends a message to the U.S. govt. saying that Israel should expect retaliation for its 1/18 attack that killed 6 Hizballah fighters and 6 mbrs. of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. (AFP, HA, JP 1/27; AFP 1/28)

In the U.S. Senate, Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) introduce the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2015 after weeks of deliberation and debate. It would increase congressional oversight on the P5+1’s negotiations with Iran and reinstate sanctions should the negotiations fail to culminate in a final agreement. Earlier in the day, Menendez and 9 other Democratic supporters of the bill send a letter to the White House saying that they will not push for a vote until after the end of 3/2015, the deadline that the P5+1 and Iranian negotiators have set to reach a political accord. (POL, REU 1/27; TOI 1/28)

In the Gaza Strip, Egyptian authorities keep the Rafah border crossing open for a 2d day. Off the n. coast, Israeli naval forces open fire with live ammunition on Palestinian fishing boats, moderately injuring 1 fisherman. Also, the Gaza power plant shuts down 1 of its 3 currently operating turbines due to lack of fuel imports, increasing the planned power outages from 12 to 18 hours per day. In the West Bank, the municipal govt. of the Kiryat Arba settlement delivers a notice of unpaid property taxes to a Palestinian on whose lands the settlement was built, which will reportedly force him and his family to leave their land. Separately, Israeli forces demolish 2 homes and 2 animal shelters in a village in the s. Hebron hills. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Nablus, Hebron, Jenin, as well as Tulkarm r.c.; patrols nr. Hebron and Tulkarm. They also arrest 1 Palestinian at a military checkpoint nr. Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a home in Jabal Mukabir and a building in Shu‘fat; conduct house searches and arrest raids in Silwan. Meanwhile, security guards deny a group of right-wing Jewish activists entry to Haram al-Sharif. In Israel, a Palestinian man from Tulkarm attacks Jewish Israelis on a bus in Tel Aviv, injuring 13 with a knife, before police shoot him in the leg and detain him. (AFP, HA, MDW, MNA, NPR, WAFA 1/21; MNA, PCHR 1/22; MNA 1/23; PCHR 1/29; OCHA 1/30)

The PLO Exec. Comm. meets in Ramallah to discuss the submission of a new draft res. to the UNSC. It would call for 1 year of negotiations sponsored by the UNSC’s permanent mbrs., and a 2-year timetable for the end of the Israeli occupation. (MNA 1/20)

U.S. Speaker of the House of Reps. John Boehner (R-OH) announces that Israeli PM Netanyahu has accepted his invitation to come to Washington and address a special meeting of Congress on Iran. The Obama admin. criticizes Boehner and Netanyahu for not informing the White House before today. Netanyahu will address Congress on 3/3. (HA, POL, REU, TOI 1/21; MDW 1/22)

In the Gaza Strip, civil employees continue their strike for a 2d day, protesting the fact that they haven’t been paid a full salary since 6/2. Separately, almost 200 Palestinians gather nr. the French Cultural Center in Gaza City to protest the recent publication of cartoons featuring the Prophet Muhammad by Parisbased satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Gaza’s police arrest 7 of the protesters. Late at night after the protests, unknown assailants set off a homemade bomb under the car of an administrative official with Hamas’s military police, which was parked outside his home in Shaykh Radwan. Off the coast nr. al-Sudaniyya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. Additionally, Israeli naval forces capture a boat sailing from the Sinai to Gaza with materials for building rockets and detain the 3 Palestinians aboard, according to the IDF. (The incident will not be reported until 2/11, due to an IDF gag order.) In the West Bank, IDF troops expel 2 Palestinian women from their home in c. Hebron, then seal the property. In nearby villages, Israeli forces close 2 Palestinian-owned stores; destroy a well and an animal barn. They also deliver a stopwork order to a site nr. Jenin where Palestinians are building a new park. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Hebron, Ramallah, Qalqilya, Jenin, and at Nur Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem neighborhoods, Israeli forces demolish 2 homes and a residential building. As a result, 1 Palestinian woman is injured with a rubber-coated metal bullet during clashes with IDF troops in Issawiyya. Nearby, Israeli forces arrest 9 Palestinians, including 1 pregnant Palestinian journalist and 4 other women at Haram al-Sharif. Across Israel, 100s of Palestinians gather to protest the killing of 2 Palestinian bedouins in Rahat on 1/14 and 1/18. After a funeral for the man killed on 1/18, clashes break out between residents of Rahat and Israeli police, but police refrain from using crowddispersal measures on orders from a district cmdr. Meanwhile, residents of Rahat continue their strike. (MNA, WAFA 1/19; JP, MNA, WAFA 1/20; HA, MEE 1/21; PCHR 1/22; OCHA 1/23; YA 2/11)

In Brussels, EU FMs agree to appeal the Gen. Court of the EU’s 12/17 decision to remove Hamas from the body’s list of foreign terrorist organizations. (AFP, JP 1/19)

In the Gaza Strip, civil employees in the ministries of public works, labor, justice, and women’s affairs go on strike in protest of the fact that they haven’t been paid a full salary since 6/2. In the West Bank, IDF troops assault Palestinian workers during a raid on a bakery in c. Nablus, injuring 3. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Tulkarm, Hebron, Nablus, and Ramallah; patrols in 1 village and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron. Israeli settlers destroy 12 olive trees and saplings in a village nr. Nablus and leave racist price-tag graffiti. In s. Israel, Israeli police violently disperse around 10,000 Palestinians protesting after a funeral held in Rahat for Sami al-Ajar, the Palestinian bedouin killed by police on 1/14, killing another Palestinian bedouin with tear gas, injuring over 40, and detaining 5 for throwing stones. The Arab High Follow-Up Comm. calls for an extension of the general strike in Rahat began after al-Ajar’s killing, and for a general strike in all Palestinian areas of Israel on 1/20. (MNA 1/17, 1/18; +972, JP, MNA, WAFA 1/19; MNA, OCHA 1/23)

Following Canadian FM John Baird’s meeting with PA FM al-Maliki in Ramallah, dozens of Palestinians throw shoes and eggs at Baird’s vehicle, protesting Canada’s recent proIsrael positions. (MNA, WAFA 1/18)

The PA unity govt. announces that it will pay its civil servants 60% of their salaries for 12/2014 by the end of the week. The funds were reportedly collected through loans from banks, aid from Arab countries, and existing domestic resources. Around 200 PA employees loyal to Mohammad Dahlan will not receive paychecks. (MNA, WAFA 1/18; NYT 1/20; TOI 1/25)

In Syria, an Israeli helicopter fires 2 missiles at a 3-car convoy nr. Qunaytra in the Golan Heights, killing 6 Hizballah fighters and 6 mbrs. of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. (AFP 1/18; JP, MNA 1/19; JP 1/20; YA 1/31)

Dep. ministers from Iran and the P5+1 meet in Geneva for negotiations over Iran’s disputed nuclear program. Earlier in the day, reps. of China and Iran conduct bilateral meetings. (ALM 1/18; AP 1/21)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops e. of Jabaliya r.c. open fire on a group of Palestinians, moderately injuring 1. Also, 100s of Palestinians pray outside the Rafah border crossing, protesting its closure since 12/23. Meanwhile, police officers dismantle a 1,000 kg piece of unexploded Israeli ordnance left in Gaza City after OPE. Late at night, unknown persons vandalize the French Cultural Center, leaving slogans criticizing French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo’s recent publication of a cartoon featuring a likeness of the Prophet Muhammad. Also, the Gaza power plant resumes operation of a 3d turbine (out of 4 total), following the receipt of aid from the Qatari govt. for additional fuel. Daily scheduled power outages in Gaza decrease from 18 to 12 hours. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), and nonweekly demonstrations in Surayf village nr. Hebron and outside Ofer detention center. In total, 10 Palestinians are seriously injured (2, Bil‘in; 7, Kafr Qaddum; 1, Surayf). Also, IDF troops conduct house searches and arrest raids nr. Ramallah, Qalqilya, and in al-‘Arub r.c.; patrol nr. Jenin; arrest a Palestinian man at a border crossing n. of Jenin. Separately, a Palestinian throws stones at Israeli settlers’ vehicles between Jerusalem and Ramallah, injuring 1. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian in al-‘Izzariya. Meanwhile, 100s of Palestinians gather at Haram al-Sharif after Friday prayers to protest the Charlie Hebdo cartoon. In s. Israel, Palestinian bedouin residents of Rahat observe a general strike called for by the Arab High Follow-Up Comm. in protest of the 1/14 killing of Sami al-Ajar by Israeli police. The comm. also called for a strike on 1/18. (MNA 1/16; AFP, TOI 1/17; +972 1/19; PCHR 1/22; OCHA 1/23)

ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda opens a preliminary examination into the situation in Palestine to cover the time period since 6/13. Meanwhile, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women Rashida Manjoo cancels her fact-finding mission to the oPt because Israeli authorities refused to give her a visa. (MNA, TOI 1/16; EI, MNA, WAFA 1/17)

Speaking at a joint press conference, U.S. Pres. Obama affirms that he will veto any new sanctions legislation that the new Republicanled Congress may pass, and UK PM David Cameron criticizes the sanctions proposals. Meanwhile, U.S. Secy. of State Kerry meets with Iranian FM Zarif in Paris and discusses the negotiations over Iran’s disputed nuclear program, as U.S. and Iranian officials meet in Geneva for bilateral talks. Zarif also meets with French FM Fabius. (AFP, AP, MNA, TOI 1/16)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops e. of Khan Yunis detain 3 Palestinians as they attempt to cross the border fence into Israel. In the West Bank, Israeli forces conduct house searches and arrest raids nr. Ramallah and Jenin; patrol nr. Hebron and Salfit; demolish 30 dunams (around 7.4 acres) of wheat fields nr. Bethlehem; and deliver eviction orders to several Palestinian bedouin families in a village nr. Jericho. Israeli settlers level land so they can establish a road leading to an outpost s. of Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces fire sound bombs and tear gas at Palestinian students as they exit their elementary school in al-Tur, then arrest 1 of their parents. (MNA, WAFA 1/15; PCHR 1/22; OCHA 1/23)

In Cairo, the Arab League agrees to make the “necessary communications and consultations” with international partners to submit a new proposal on behalf of the Palestinians to the UNSC. Diplomats from 5 Arab countries will form a joint comm. to organize the resubmission, and PA Pres. Abbas agrees to respect the comm.’s decisions regarding timing. (AP, HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 1/15; TOI 1/17)

After meeting with the U.S. Consul Gen. to Israel and Palestine Michael Ratney in Ramallah, PA PM Hamdallah calls on the international community to pressure Israel into unfreezing its tax revenue transfers to the PA. (AJ, REU, WAFA, YA 1/15) 

Iranian FM Zarif meets with German FM Steinmeier in Berlin, then with EU foreign affairs chief Mogherini, to discuss the ongoing negotiations over Iran’s disputed nuclear program. In Geneva, reps. of Iran and the U.S. discuss the negotiations. (AFP 1/16; MNA 1/17)