The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shoot and kill 3 Palestinians and injure 3 others during raids in al-Fara’a refugee camp and Tubas. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian man near al-Muntar. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Beit Furik. Israeli forces also seize a bulldozer during a raid in Bidya. Meanwhile, Israeli forces also arrest 30 Palestinians from Gaza in Barta’a and 5 others in Nablus, Beit Furik, Jalazone, Jericho, and Tubas, including a Palestinian child in Jericho who was released as part of the ceasefire prisoner swap in November 2023. 9 Palestinians prisoners released as part of the deal have been arrested again. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, and Rafah, killing at least 96 people. 2 babies die at the Kamal Adwan Hospital due to dehydration. 2 rockets are fired at Ashkelon, both are intercepted. 2 Israeli soldiers die in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ayta ash Shab, Sidon, and Tyre. Hezbollah fires anti-tank missiles at an Israeli airbase in the Mount Meron area, causing damage. In the Red Sea, U.S. forces shoot down 5 drones launched from Yemen. Germany naval forces also intercept a drone launched from Yemen. (HA 2/26; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/27; AJ, HA, UNOCHA 2/28)

More than 29,878 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 70,215 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 404 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 102 children. More than 4,590 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, 240 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,408 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. For the second day in a row, Jordan, Egypt, France, and the UAE airdrop humanitarian aid to Gaza using 6 C-130 planes. Jordanian king Abdullah II personally takes part in the airdrop mission. 135 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/27; UNOCHA 2/29)

The Israeli military’s Central Command commander Yehuda Fuchs signs an order to allow the Mitzpeh Yehuda settlement outpost to be turned into a new settlement called Mishmar Yehuda that initially would have 3,600 housing units and later expand to 13,600 housing units. Mitzpeh Yehuda is north of al-Ubeidiya. (HA, PCN, REU, WAFA 2/28)

Hamas official Basem Naim says Hamas has not received the U.S., Israeli, Egyptian, and Qatari ceasefire counterproposal. Reuters reports that the proposal’s first stage includes a 40-day ceasefire, a prisoner exchange ratio of 1 Israeli to 10 Palestinians, that both parties end military operations, a halt to Israeli arial reconnaissance operations for 8 hours a day, and a gradual return of Palestinians to northern Gaza except for men of military age. The second stage would see Israeli forces leave densely populated areas, at least 500 trucks carrying aid enter daily, 200,000 tents and 60,000 caravans enter Gaza, and Israel allow the rebuilding of hospitals and bakeries and allow heavy machinery to enter Gaza to remove rubble. (AJ, AJ, REU 2/27)

PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki meets with WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus in Geneva, Switzerland, discussing the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Al-Maliki also briefs the UN Human Rights Council on the situation in Gaza. President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh meet with Japanese foreign minister Tsuji Kiyoto in Ramallah. Japan donates $32 million in emergency aid to Gaza through the World Food Programme, WHO, and UNICEF. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/27)

The Israeli Army Radio reports that the military and the Shin Bet have urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to restrict entry for Muslim worshippers to the Haram al-Sharif compound during Ramadan, citing the security situation in the West Bank. (AJ 2/27)

Israeli economy minister Nir Barakat tells reporters at the World Trade Organization conference in Abu Dhabi that “in the wars Israel had we had a dip in the economy but immediately after we had a huge spike in innovation. And the knowledge and the experience Israel is gathering in this round of violence is second to none . . . Especially after this war I think we are probably going to be leading many, many initiatives on what next-generation warfare is going to look like.” (REU 2/27)

At the UN Security Council, UNOCHA head and representative in Geneva Ramesh Rajasingham says 576,000 people in Gaza are “one step away from famine.” (AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA 2/27; AJ, AP 2/28)

U.S. treasury secretary Janet Yellen says Israel has started transferring the PA’s tax revenue to the PA upon request from the U.S. and that she urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to reverse the ban on Palestinians from the West Bank working in Israel. President Joe Biden meets with House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) at the White House, urging him to pass the Senate supplemental funding bill providing aid to Israel and Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and UAE foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, discussing the situation in Gaza and the establishment of a Palestinian state. USAID administrator Samantha Power says the U.S. will provide an additional $53 million in humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU 2/27; NYT 2/28)

Axios reports that the U.S. has given Israel until mid-March to sign a letter guaranteeing that Israel will use U.S.-provided weapons in accordance with international law and that Israel will allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. (AJ, AX 2/27)

A poll released by Data for Progress shows 67% of U.S. voters support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, including 77% of Democrats and 56% of Republicans. (AJ 2/27)

At the Michigan presidential primaries, an effort to challenge President Biden’s Gaza policy gains support as more than 100,000 voters vote “uncommitted” which organizers had urged people who are angry with Biden’s approach to do in the Democratic primary. Michigan is a swing state which former president Donald Trump won with 11,000 votes in 2016 and Biden won with 150,000 votes in 2020. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT 2/28)

After 2 weeks of increasing tension and clashes in East Jerusalem over access at Haram al-Sharif, Israeli authorities ban male and female volunteer guards— murabitun and murabitat—from the sanctuary on the grounds that they disturb and intimidate Jewish visitors. Around 50 Palestinian women gather outside Haram al-Sharif in the morning to protest the Israeli restrictions on their access. Late at night, suspected right-wing Jewish activists spray racist graffiti on walls in the Old City and Israeli forces arrest 7 Palestinians on raids in al-Tur and Jabal Mukabir. In the West Bank, unknown assailants shoot and lightly injure an Israeli settler driving nr. Nablus. Later, Israeli settlers set fire to dozens of olive trees outside a nearby Palestinian village and Israeli forces block the entrances to the village and order a curfew. Separately, Israeli forces raze agricultural land and seize an irrigation network nr. Hebron. IDF troops conduct late-night house searches and raids nr. Jericho, Jenin, Tulkarm, and Bethlehem, arresting 4 Palestinians; patrol in al-‘Arub r.c and nr. Hebron. The Israeli authorities reopen a road nr. Ramallah that has been closed for 15 years (it was initially reported reopened on 5/25, but Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories [COGAT] delayed the opening to perform unspecified maintenance). Off Gaza’s coast nr. Rafah, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. Later, Israeli forces e. of Khan Yunis arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel. (HA, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA 9/9; PCHR, WAFA 9/10; PCHR 9/17; OCHA 9/18)

PNC pres. Zanoun announces that the PNC convention scheduled for 9/14–15 has been postponed in response to various Palestinian political groups’ requests for a delay and calls for a boycott. He says that a comm. comprising himself, the PLO Exec. Comm., and the heads of the various factions will meet to prepare to convene the PNC within 3 mos. (JP, MNA, WAFA 9/9)

UNRWA commissioner-gen. Pierre Krähenbühl reaches an agreement with the UNRWA employees union in Gaza to end the recent protests over reductions in agency services. The union went on strike for a week on 8/24, then agreed to return to work on 8/31 in exchange for a tentative agreement to limit class sizes. (MNA 9/9)

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)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops violently disperse 2 separate groups of Palestinian protesters, injuring 3 with live ammunition nr. the Erez border crossing and 4 nr. Shuja‘iya. Separately, Israeli soldiers fire live ammunition at Palestinian farmers approaching the border fence nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. Meanwhile, the Gaza power plant shuts down, having exhausted its fuel reserves. Scheduled power outages increase from 12 to 18 hours a day, on average, with all electricity consumed having been purchased from Israel and Egypt. Meanwhile, Hamas prevents 37 children orphaned during OPE from attending a 1-week publicity tour to Israel and the West Bank sponsored by an Israeli nongovernmental organization, saying that the trip’s goal was normalization. In the West Bank, an 8-year-old Palestinian from Nabi Salih is moderately injured when a leftover Israeli sound bomb explodes in his hand. IDF troops raid a school in a village s. of Bethlehem. Later, Israeli forces raze agricultural land in a village s. of Nablus, then set up earth mounds in the area in preparation for military exercises. The IDF also conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Nablus, Jenin, and Ramallah, as well as Askar r.c. and Jenin r.c.; patrols nr. Tulkarm, Hebron, Jenin, and Jericho. An Israeli settler hits a 7-year-old Palestinian boy with his car, moderately injuring him, before fleeing the area s. of Hebron. PA security forces conduct a late-night raid n. of Ramallah and arrest 1 Palestinian journalist. (MNA, NYT, WAFA 12/28; EI, MNA 12/29; YA 12/30; PCHR 12/31; OCHA 1/2)

Senior Hamas official Abu Marzuq criticizes the Palestinian leadership for amending the proposed UNSC res. without consulting Hamas. Meanwhile, U.S. Secy. of State Kerry calls PA Pres. Abbas and asks him to delay the submission of the amended res. until after the Israeli elections on 3/17/2015. (MNA, TOI 12/28; HA, TOI 12/29; ALM 12/30)

The World Bank reports that the Palestinian economy is facing its worst crisis since 1994, noting that the recent growth rate of 7.7% between 2007 and 2011 is insufficient to run a state because it is overly contingent on donor aid. The report says that sustainable growth can only be met through increased trade and private sector growth, which are hampered by restrictions imposed by Israel. Separately, UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Robert Serry warns that the PA is facing insolvency and has been late paying government salaries because donors have failed to fulfill pledges. (WP 7/26)

IDF troops make a brief incursion into s. Gaza to level land and clear lines of sight along the border fence e. of Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in Jericho. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo settlement nr. Ramallah beat 4 Palestinian farmers attempting to reach their crop land nearby; the IDF observes but does not intervene. (PCHR 7/26, 8/2; OCHA 8/3)

IDF troops open fire across the s. Gaza border into residential and agricultural areas of Khan Yunis in the morning, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tulkarm, 3 villages nr. Ramallah, and 1 village nr. Jericho in the morning; in Tulkarm and 1 village nr. Jericho in the afternoon; and in 2 villages nr. Jericho late at night. (PCHR 7/12; OCHA 7/13)

Acting on a tip from Israeli intelligence, police in Cyprus arrest a suspected Hizballah operative (a dual Lebanese-Swedish citizen) for allegedly plotting an attack on Israeli tourists. (JTA 7/15; NYT 7/19; JPI 7/27)

IDF troops make 2 brief incursion into Gaza to level land and clear lines of sight along the border fence nr. Bayt Lahiya in the north and Khan Yunis in the south. IDF soldiers on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers who stray too near the border fence, forcing them to leave. IDF soldiers on the s. Gaza border open fire on Palestinian agricultural areas e. of Abasan, causing no reported damage or injuries. Israeli naval vessels fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm in the morning; in 2 villages nr. Jenin and 1 each nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm in the evening; and in 2 villages nr. Jericho and 1 each nr. Ramallah and Tulkarm late at night. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, including rearresting a PA General Intelligence officer released in the 2011 prisoner swap that freed captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. (PCHR 5/23; OCHA 5/25)

News hits the media that the new U.S. amb. to Israel Dan Shapiro recently told a meeting of the Israeli Bar Association that the U.S. is ready and willing to use military force against Iran if diplomacy and sanctions fail, stating that the military option is ‘‘not just available, but it’s ready. The necessary planning has been done.’’ A tape of Shapiro’s address was leaked to the AP, with an anonymous Israeli official stating: ‘‘Quite clearly he didn’t mean this to be public. ... For the Iranians to understand that he really means it, they have to hear it publicly and clearly.’’ (AP, ITV 5/17; NYT, WT 5/18; see Quarterly Update [QU] in JPS 165 for details on Iran.)

At a private fundraising event in Florida that is secretly taped and leaked to the media on 9/18/12, Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney states that ‘‘the Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace’’ and are ‘‘committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel.’’ He also opposes creation of an independent Palestinian state, assuming that it would become a client state of Iran. In terms of a U.S. mediating role in the peace process, he states: ‘‘The idea of pushing on the Israelis—to give something up, to get the Palestinians to act, is the worst idea in the world.’’ In response to the leak, which was seen (e.g., NYT 9/19)

as likely to damage Romney’s ability to act as a peace broker if elected, Romney publicly states on 9/18 that he stands by his longtime support for the U.S. official position advocating a negotiated 2-state solution. (Mother Jones 9/18; NYT 9/19)

Israeli DM Ehud Barak meets with U.S. secy. of defense Leon Panetta in Washington to request an additional $680 m./yr. in aid over 3 yrs. to help purchase 3–4 new Iron Dome antimissile batteries and another $168 m. for 3 other missile programs jointly developed with the U.S. (This is on top of an increase of $99.9 m. in funding for FY 2013 already requested by the Obama admin.) With the appeal coinciding with Israel cutting its defense budget by 5% per year for 2013 and 2014, critics complain (e.g., WP 5/17) that the U.S. is effectively helping balance Israel’s budget before balancing its own. (WP 5/17)

IDF troops make 2 brief incursions into c. Gaza e. of Bureij r.c. and s. Gaza e. of Khan Yunis to leveling land and clear lines of sight along the border fence. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts morning patrols in 3 villages nr. Jericho, Qalqilya, and Ramallah; afternoon patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin and Ramallah; and late-night patrols in Jericho, Kafr Qaddum, 2 villages nr. Tulkarm, and 1 nr. Qalqilya. (PCHR 4/12; OCHA 4/13)

Egypt’s natural gas pipeline to Israel is attacked and damaged for the 14th time since the Arab Spring uprising began in 1/2011. (WJW 4/12)

The IDF enters s. Gaza in the afternoon to level lands and clear lines of sight along the border e. of Khan Yunis and do not leave until late at night; after dark, the troops are guarded by IDF helicopters overhead, which fire on nearby open and residential areas to keep Palestinians away (no injuries are reported). A separate IDF unit makes a brief incursion into s. Gaza e. of Rafah to level land and clear lines of sight. In the evening, unidentified Palestinians fire 3 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in al-Bireh and 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning; patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho and 1 nr. Ramallah in the evening. (JP 3/29; OCHA, PCHR 4/5)

The EU’s Ashton meets again (see 1/25/11) with Abbas in Amman to urge him to continue the talks. Afterward, Jordanian FM Judeh states that no further Israeli-Palestinian talks are scheduled, as the sides need to “assess where we are and how to move to the next stage.” Meanwhile, PLO EC mbr. Hanan Ashrawi says: “There has been no progress whatsoever. . . . There are no talks anymore. We don’t want to be complicit in this game of deception.” (HA 1/26, REU, WP 1/27, Asia Times 1/31)

IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers who stray too nr. the border fence e. of Khan Yunis, forcing them to flee. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 5 villages nr. Ramallah and 2 nr. Jericho in the morning; patrols in 1 village nr. Jericho and 1 nr. Salfit in the afternoon; patrols in Kafr Qaddum late at night; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron; escorts Jewish settlers enter Kafr Haris village nr. Salfit late at night to pray at a local shrine. (PCHR 2/2; OCHA 2/3)

In the morning, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border w. of the Erez crossing direct gunfire and 1 artillery shell at open areas around the former Nisanit settlement site, causing no reported injuries. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya launch 4 artillery shells at open areas near the border, causing no reported injuries. Late at night, Israeli warplanes make a total of 7 air strikes on greenhouses and open areas nr. the Bayt Lahiya border in the north, a suspected weapons factory in c. Gaza, and a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. A Palestinian civilian dies of injuries sustained in a 11/14/01 IDF air strike on a UNRWA school in Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 9 Palestinian stores in al-Oja village in the Jordan Valley, n. of Jericho; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Ramallah (where they target the home of Hamas-affiliated Reform and Change PC mbr. ‘Abd al-Jabir Fuqaha, arresting him, summoning his son for interrogation, and confiscating his computer, phone, and files), in Nablus, and nr. Hebron; conducts late-night patrols in 1 village nr. Qalqilya (summoning 3 Palestinians for interrogation). In East Jerusalem’s Shaykh Jarrah neighborhood, Israeli security forces raid the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office and a protest tent outside, detaining Hamas-affiliated PC mbrs. Muhammad Toutah and Khalid Abu Arafa, who had been living at the ICRC offices since 6/2010 to protest Israel’s 9/2009 decision to revoke their Jerusalem IDs on the grounds that they are affiliated with a “terrorist organization” (i.e., Hamas); Israeli authorities expel them to the West Bank. Hamasaffiliated PC mbr. Ismail Ashkar comments, “Every time we move toward reconciliation and reactivating the Palestinian parliament, we see Israel targeting our lawmakers.” (AFP, JP, NYT, YA 1/24; WP, WT 1/25; PCHR 1/26; OCHA 1/27)

Israeli embassies and mission in the Hague, Brussels, London, New York, Boston, and Houston receive envelopes containing a suspicious white powder that turns out to be flour, raising fears of an anthrax attack. No one takes responsibility. (DS 1/24; JPI 2/3)

The UNSC comm. reviewing the Palestinian membership request issues its final report, stating that mbrs. are deadlocked and unable to reach consensus and therefore cannot make a recommendation, leaving the statehood application effectively dead. France urges the Palestinians to ask the UNGA to upgrade its status to the lesser observer-state status, but the Palestinians have not decided what to do next. (NYT, WP 11/9; WT 11/10)

The IDF carries out 2 late-night air strikes, destroying a greenhouse in the former Jewish settlements n. of Khan Yunis, causing no reported injuries. The IDF patrols in Jericho, neighboring ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c., and 2 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning; conducts late-night patrols in Jenin town (firing percussion grenades to intimidate residents) and r.c. (firing rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no injuries), synchronizing these with arrest raids, house searches in 1 village nearby. (PCHR 11/17; OCHA 11/18)

The IDF makes 3 air strikes on a site nr. Khan Yunis, killing 1 Islamic Jihad mbr., and wounding at least 2. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho and Ramallah in the morning. (HA, REU, VOA 11/5; PCHR 11/17; OCHA 11/18)

In the afternoon, the IDF carries out an air strike on a rocket-launching team in s. Gaza, killing 1 DFLP mbr. and seriously wounding another. By nightfall, Egypt announces it has secured pledges fr. the Palestinian factions to a reimpose the cease-fire. Netanyahu publicly states that “there is no cease-fire,” vowing to attack if Israel perceives a threat; Islamic Jihad says it reserves the right to respond if attacked. Late at night, the IDF carries out 3 air strikes targeting mbrs. of the armed wing of the Salafist alAhrar Movement nr. Khan Yunis, killing 2 al-Ahrar mbrs., and fires 2 drone missiles at another group of armed Palestinians in Jabaliya in n. Gaza, causing no reported injuries. There is no immediate Palestinian retaliation. In the West Bank, the IDF daytime patrols in Tulkarm town and r.c., 3 villages nr. Ramallah, 2 nr. Salfit, and 1 each nr. Jenin and Jericho; conducts late-night patrols in Jericho, Salfit (summoning 1 Palestinian for questioning), Tulkarm, and 4 villages nr. Qalqilya (summoning 2 Palestinians for questioning). (AHR, IDFS 10/30; IDF, NYT 10/31; PCHR 11/3; OCHA 11/4)

After meetings with the U.S. and EU envoys and Arab FMs, Abbas declares in a televised address that the Palestinians will ask for full member-state status at the UN, not simply observerstate status. Insiders say Abbas was debating which tack to take until he met again with Ross and Hale who offered no incentives and only threats to get him to drop the plan; outraged by the U.S. posturing, he decided to go for full membership. (NYT 9/17)

The IDF patrols in 9 villages between morning and late evening (4 nr. Ramallah, 2 nr. Tulkarm, 1 each nr. Jenin, Jericho, and Salfit). A Hamas mbr. dies of injuries received in a 1/8/09 IDF drone missile strike on his vehicle in Khan Yunis, during Operation Cast Lead. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bayt Umar, Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and al-Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers beat and fire rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, moderately injuring 1 Palestinian; 1 Palestinian is arrested and 2 Palestinian journalists are forcibly removed. Armed Jewish settlers fr. Esh Kodesh outpost nr. Nablus attempt to swim in a pond on nearby Palestinian land in Qusra-Jaloud village and open fire on villagers who confront them, wounding 1 before the IDF intervenes, firing tear gas at the Palestinians to disperse them. (PCHR 9/22; OCHA 9/23)

IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire toward Abasan village, causing no injuries; later fire on and detain 3 Palestinian children (2 age 17, 1 age 14) who crossed the border fence into Israel e. of Khan Yunis in effort to find work, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah during the day and in 2 villages nr. Salfit, 1 nr. Jericho, and 1 nr. Ramallah late at night; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah in the afternoon and nr. Hebron late at night. (PCHR 9/15; OCHA 9/16)

After more than 13 hrs. of heavy clashes (in which 2 Egyptians are killed, some 1,200 are injured, and 19 are arrested), Egyptian commandos free the 6 employees trapped in the Israeli emb. in Cairo, and Egyptian riot police manage to disperse protesters. Netanyahu praises Egypt’s efforts to defend embassy staff and pledges to return Israel’s amb. to Cairo soon. (IFM, NYT, WP 9/11; Politico [Internet] 9/13) 

Israel approves construction of 277 new apartments in Ariel settlement deep in the West Bank, which Israel seeks to retain under final status. The Quartet condemns the decision, stating that “unilateral action by either party will not be recognized by the international community.” During the day, IDF troops on the Gaza border fire on Palestinian fishermen on the beach nr. Bayt Lahiya (wounding 1) and on farmers who stray too nr. the border fence e. of Khuza in s. Gaza (wounding 1). Late in the evening, unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Late at night, the IDF retaliates with 9 air strikes on 3 Hamas training facilities (Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Rafah) and a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, wounding a 7-yr.-old boy outside his home. Separately, the IDF makes an air strike on 3 armed Palestinians preparing to fire another rocket into Israel, killing 1 Hamas mbr. and seriously wounding 2. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 4 villages nr. Jericho, Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Tulkarm. (HA, JTA, MNA 8/15; AP, JP, NYT, REU, WP 8/16; MNA, WP 8/17; PCHR 8/18; OCHA 8/19)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a total of 6 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel in 3 barrages in the morning, afternoon, and evening, causing no damage or injuries. In retaliation, the IDF makes air strikes on 4 Hamas training facilities in Gaza City and Khan Yunis and on 2 smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border, causing no reported injuries. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the c. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah and 3 nr. Salfit in the morning and in Jericho late at night. (YA 7/14; JP 7/15; PCHR 7/20; OCHA 7/22)

Inspired by the Arab Spring, 10s of young Israelis set up a tent camp on Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv’s high-end shopping district, to protest high housing costs (up 20% compared to summer 2010). (Guardian, HA 7/16)

Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Israel responds with at least 3 air strikes on Hamas training sites in Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, and Khan Yunis, causing collateral damage to 6 homes but no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts patrols in Jericho and 3 villages nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Nabi Salih, arresting an organizer of the weekly demonstrations against the separation wall. Palestinians and international activists demonstrate against construction of settlements and the separation wall at the Qalandia crossing and in Bayt Umar. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 4 Palestinians (including 2 journalists) and 1 international activist. Jewish settlers fr. Taffuh settlement s. of Nablus attempt to seize Palestinian agricultural lands e. of Salfit but are removed by the IDF. Jewish settlers fr. Karnei Shomron settlement nr. Qalqilya stone Palestinian vehicles. (AFP 3/5; IsRN 3/6; PCHR 3/10; OCHA 3/18)

Israel says it will prevent a Libyan ship carrying 2,000 tons of food and medical supplies, organized by the Qaddafi Foundation (run by Libyan leader Mu‘ammar Qaddafi’s son), fr. running the Gaza blockade. The ship is estimated to be 2 days away fr. the coast. Meanwhile, IDF troops make a brief incursion into s. Gaza to level land along the border e. of Khan Yunis to clear lines of sight. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Jericho, Qalqilya, Ramallah. (WT 712; PCHR 7/15; OCHA 7/16)

IDF troops, bulldozers cross into s. Gaza to level land along the border e. of Khan Yunis, exchanging fire with Hamas mbrs., causing no reported injures. In a similar incident nr. the Erez crossing, IDF soldiers exchange fire with DFLP gunmen, causing no reported injuries. The IDF also makes an air strike on an alleged rocket-launching site in n. Gaza, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Nur al-Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm, nr. Bethlehem. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba beat a 6-yr.-old Palestinian boy on his way to school until his grandfather halts the attack; the IDF observes but does not intervene. Hamas accuses PA security forces in the West Bank of arresting 26 Hamas mbrs. and supporters, mostly in Hebron, but also in Bethlehem, Jericho, and Salfit. (HA, JP, MNA, REU, YA 11/8; HA, JAZ, MNA 11/9; OCHA 11/12; PCHR 11/13)

After a last-minute talks in Cairo between Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Sulayman and senior Hamas official Mahmud Zahhar fr. Gaza, Hamas’s dep. leader Musa Abu Marzuq announces from Damascus that Hamas will not attend national unity talks in Cairo on 11/9. Hamas officials cite Egyptian and PA unwillingness to compromise on the wording of an Egyptian draft national unity statement or to discuss issues of importance to Hamas, and the PA’s failure to fulfill a pledge to release 100s of Hamas and Islamic Jihad prisoners held in the West Bank as a confidence-building gesture in advance of the summit. (AFP 11/8; NYT, WT 11/9; see also MNR 11/7)

Rice stops in Jenin to meet with Abbas and to inaugurate a new hospital wing funded by USAID, announcing another $14 m. in USAID funds for Jenin. (HA 11/8; IFM, NYT, WP, WT 11/9)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts daytime arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin and late-night raids, searches in and around Tubas, in ‘Aqbat Jabir r.c. and ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. nr. Jericho. For a 3d day, Jewish settlers in Hebron vandalize Palestinian property and attack local Palestinians; the IDF observes but does not intervene; 3 Palestinians have been injured since 3/21. Jewish settlers fr. Eli nr. Nablus kidnap 2 Palestinian boys herding sheep nr. the settlement, release them hrs. later after PA security forces request IDF intervention. Jewish settlers in Efrat nr. Bethlehem begin construction of 3 apartment buildings (54 units). In Khan Yunis, Hamas officials dismiss the Fatah-affiliated admin. officer at the College of Science and Technology and name a pro-Hamas officer to replace him, sparking a fight with local Fatah supporters; police intervene to disperse the crowd, with no injuries reported; classes are suspended until the issue can be resolved btwn. Hamas and Fatah. Islamic Jihad mbr. Nidal Shaqqura, wounded in an IDF assassination attempt on 3/18, dies of his injuries. (OCHA 3/26; PCHR 3/27)

Overnight, the IDF sends troops, tanks, helicopter gunships into Khan Yunis in a major raid, clashing with armed Palestinians (killing at least 2 Hamas mbrs., wounding at least 22 Palestinians, including at least 5 children on their way to school), shelling and then bulldozing a Palestinian home that allegedly provided cover for gunmen (killing 5 mbrs. of a Palestinian family, wounding 2 others), bulldozing 29 d. of agricultural land. Early in the morning, Palestinians fire a Grad-type rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, striking nr. Ashqelon, causing no damage or injuries but marking the deepest rocket strike to date; also fire several homemade rockets, damaging an Israeli home is Sederot. During the day, the IDF makes air strikes destroying the homes of 2 senior Islamic Jihad cmdrs. (previously killed by the IDF), a Gaza City warehouse, and at least 1 other target associated with Islamic Jihad (no casualties are reported in these strikes); makes an air strike on a Hamas post in Rafah, killing a Fatah mbr. in detention there, wounding 2 Hamas mbrs., 2 bystanders; sends troops into Gaza City, sparking clashes with local gunmen and calling in air strikes in support, killing 1 armed Palestinian, wounding 2. Overnight, in the West Bank, the IDF launches a major raid into Nablus and neighboring ‘Ayn Bayt alMa’ r.c., imposing a round-the-clock curfew, sending in at least 70 military vehicles and bulldozers, occupying homes as observation posts, arresting 3 senior AMB mbrs., sparking demonstrations, clashing with local Palestinians, leaving 33 injured (many by rubber bullets); the PA, which has daytime security control of Nablus, denounces Israel for attempting to undermine its efforts to expand security control before Bush arrives in the region on 1/9; the raid is ongoing at the end of the day. The IDF also demolishes 12 bedouin tents outside Jericho (displacing 80 Palestinians); issues a military order confiscating 9 d. of Palestinian land nr. Salfit for military purposes; patrols in, fires on residential areas of Far‘un nr. Tulkarm, wounding 1 unarmed teenager; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm; bulldozes 20 d. of agricultural land in the central Jordan Valley, claiming it is state land. (NYT, WP, WT 1/4; OCHA 2/9; PCHR 1/10; OCHA 1/30)

Israel confirms that it is building a 10-mi. Palestinian-only road around Ma’ale Adumim settlement, linking Jericho and Bethlehem and bypassing Jerusalem, to create “transportational contiguity” btwn. Palestinian communities that would otherwise be cut off by the separation wall; critics note that 56 acres of privately owned Palestinian land and 352 acres of “state land” have been appropriated for the construction, which will also allow for the expansion and linkage of Ma’ale Adumim, Mishor Adumim, and Kedar settlements. In Gaza, the IDF raids and searches homes in al-Shuka, occupying several houses as observation posts (troops are still in the village at the end of the day); sends troops into al-Fakhari nr. Khan Yunis, raiding several homes, leveling lands, firing on residential areas, causing no reported injuries; sends troops into Bayt Hanun, bulldozing at least 100 d. of citrus trees and fences around a college and cemetery, withdrawing in the evening. The ESF creates 2 new openings in the Rafah border fence nr. Rafah’s Bloc J and al-Barahma, but no passage through the openings is reported. Egypt allows 30 Islamic Jihad mbrs. and Palestinian civilians stranded in Egypt since Israel sealed the Gaza borders on 6/12 to return to Gaza through the Rafah crossing (see 9/30). In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem (arresting a mbr. of the Bethlehem municipal council), nr. Hebron, and in al-Bireh, Ramallah, Qalqilya (occupying homes as observation posts, firing on Palestinian children as they leave school, wounding 2, ages 11 and 13). (NYT, OCHA, WP, WT 10/10; PCHR 10/11; OCHA 10/17)

During the day, Palestinians fire 9 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly injuring 1 Israeli. Late in the evening, the IDF makes air strikes on 3 Hamas targets, damaging at least 20 Palestinian homes and a mosque but causing no reported injuries; conducting arrest raids and temporarily occupying 2 Palestinian homes in Khan Yunis, exchanging fire with armed Palestinians, leaving 2 Hamas mbrs. dead, 1 bystander seriously wounded. In Bayt Lahiya, 3 Palestinian children are injured by IDF UXO. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in the Old City of Jerusalem, 2 houses just s. of Jerusalem, 2 houses nr. Hebron (for the expansion of Harsina settlement); conducts arrest raids, house searches in Jericho (exchanging fire with wanted AMB mbrs., wounding 1 and arresting 2), in and around Nablus and Ramallah (arresting senior AMB mbr. Khalid Shawish), and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Qalqilya. Fatah, ESF mbrs. exchange fire in Gaza City, set up rival road blocks and checkpoints to mark off areas of control; no injuries are reported. (NYT 5/29, 5/30; OCHA 5/30; PCHR 5/31)

After Hamas fires several rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, killing 1 Israeli and wounding 1 in separate strikes, Olmert convenes his security cabinet to discuss expanding attacks on Hamas. During the day, the IDF reinforces troops in its n. Gaza buffer zone; makes air strikes on 3 ESF positions in Bayt Lahiya, Jabaliya, Khan Yunis, causing no injuries; bulldozes a Palestinian home in n. Gaza; raids and temporarily occupies 4 Palestinian homes in Bayt Hanun; fires on Palestinian farmers who stray nr. the border fence e. of Khan Yunis. The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishermen off the Rafah coast for a 2d day, causing no injuries. Abbas, Egyptian mediators hold talks with the Palestinian factions aimed at securing a 1-mo. unilateral halt on attacks on Israel fr. Gaza, with hopes that an Israeli cease-fire would follow that could then be extended to the West Bank; the factions demand that the cease-fire include the West Bank fr. the outset. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home outside Jerusalem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem and Nablus, in Jenin town and r.c. and Jericho (raiding a hospital to arrested a wounded wanted AMB mbr., firing on stone-throwing Palestinian youths), nr. Hebron and Salfit. (IFM 5/27; NYT, WP 5/28; OCHA 5/30; PCHR 5/31)

A bomb goes off in Beirut’s Berbir neighborhood, wounding 4 Lebanese; no group claims responsibility. (NYT 5/28)

Overnight and during the day, the IDF makes air strikes on 6 Hamas and ESF targets across Gaza, killing at least 2 Hamas mbrs. and wounding 5 bystanders at a rocket launching site in n. Gaza, and hitting a guard post nr. Haniyeh’s Shati‘ r.c. residence for a 2d day (wounding 3 bystanders); other targets are located in Jabaliya r.c., Khan Yunis, and Nussayrat r.c. (leaving a total of 7 bystanders wounded). A 7th IDF air strike targets a PA presidential guard post nr. Gaza City, causing no casualties. The IDF also shoots, wounds a Palestinian woman who strays nr. the border fence nr. Bayt Lahiya. Hamas fires 6 rockets toward Israel, lightly injuring 3 Israelis, causing light damage. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in Qabatya; raids areas of Hebron, Jericho, withdrawing without making arrests; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists demonstrating in Bil‘in against the separation wall, injuring 6 and also barring journalists fr. reaching the site. (NYT, WP, WT 5/26; OCHA 5/30; PCHR 5/31)

Expedited U.S. military aid (including munitions, night-vision gear, body armor) begins reaching Lebanon, with 5 U.S. military transport planes landing in Beirut. The Lebanese army occasionally shells, fires on FI positions inside Nahr al-Barid r.c., but the undeclared cease-fire generally holds. (At least 70% of residents have vacated the camp, with the Lebanese government and army encouraging the remainder to leave.) (BBC 5/25; WP, WT 5/26)

The IDF expands military operations in Gaza, making at least 7 air strikes on Hamas, ESF, and PA General Intelligence targets in Gaza, targeting 4 suspected arms caches and 3 other sites (including PA Interior Min. offices in Rafah), injuring 16 Palestinians, damaging at least 25 Palestinian homes; sending tanks and bulldozers into the Strip to level agricultural land e. of Bayt Hanun; directing heavy machine gun fire at a rocket launching site in n. Gaza; conducting arrest raids in Khuza’a nr. Khan Yunis. Late in the evening, the IDF sends troops into Khan Yunis to conduct arrest raids and house searches. Palestinians fire 9 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly wounding 2 Israelis. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, nr. Bethlehem, and in Hebron, Jericho, Jenin, Qalqilya. Jewish settlers vandalize Palestinian vehicles in East Jerusalem. A Hamas mbr. is fatally shot by suspected Fatah mbrs. in Khan Yunis. (OCHA, WP 5/23; PCHR 5/24; OCHA 5/30)

Heavy clashes btwn. the Lebanese army, FI at Nahr al-Barid r.c. continue for a 3d day. In Tripoli, a lone FI suicide bomber, still hiding from the police crackdown on 5/20, detonates a device when police close in on his location, killing only himself. Later in the afternoon, the Lebanese army halts its shelling of Nahr al-Barid r.c. in response to a shaky, undeclared cease-fire by FI, prompting some 10,000 Palestinians to flee. Palestinians in ‘Ayn al-Hilwa r.c. and Rashidiyya r.c. demonstrate against the army’s heavy shelling of Nahr al-Barid. (Independent, REU 5/22; DS, LBC, MENA, al-Sharq al-Awsat, al-Safir 5/22 in WNC 5/23; NYT, WP, WT 5/23)

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

Overnight, the IDF sends troops back into Gaza City, surrounding the home of senior Hamas military cmdr. Ayman Dayif Allah Hassanian, ordering him to surrender, fatally shooting him and 2 bystanders (including a 70-yr.-old woman) in an exchange of gunfire, also bulldozing 20 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of olive, citrus groves. Palestinians fire 5 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, hitting a factory, killing an Israeli. Early in the morning, the IDF sends troops back into n. Gaza, clashing with Palestinians in Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, Jabaliya and also shelling the area, killing 1 Palestinian gunman, wounding at least 17 Palestinians; also leaving 2 IDF soldiers injured. The IDF also fires on Palestinian fisherman off the s. Gaza coast, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin (firing on stone-throwing Palestinians, wounding 2) and Nablus, in al-Bireh, Jericho, Tulkarm r.c. In Gaza City, an unidentified gunman shoots, wounds fmr. Palestinian Council (PC) mbr. ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Shahin (Fatah) as he leaves a radio studio after giving an interview criticizing Hamas. In Khan Yunis, unidentified gunman kidnap, hold for several hrs. 2 Italian Red Cross employees, releasing them unharmed without comment. (MM 11/21; MM, NYT, OCHA, WP 11/22; PCHR 11/23)