The Palestine Chronology

Argentina and Uruguay recognize Palestine as “a free and independent state” within the 1967 borders. The Israeli FMin. calls the moves “disappointing” and “regrettable.” (JAZ, YA 12/7)

To mark the anniversary of the founding of their movement, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) mbrs. fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF fires warning shots at an unidentified Palestinian nr. the Qarni crossing into Gaza, causing no reported injures; restricts animal fodder and wheat imports through the crossing for the rest of the week as punishment. The IDF makes an incursion into s. Gaza to level lands along the border fence e. of Khan Yunis, firing on surrounding areas, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 10 residential structures belonging to 15 Palestinian families (101 persons, including 42 children), a school, and 2 other small classroom structures, and at least 17 animal shelters in Khirbat Tana nr. Nablus. The IDF also conducts daytime patrols in 1 village nr. Qalqilya and 2 e. of Tulkarm; conducts late-night patrols in Bayt Liqya, firing live ammunition, tear gas, and stun grenades on stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no injuries; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. In Gaza, a Hamas-affiliated military court sentences 4 Palestinians to death (3 for a 2007 kidnapping and murder; 1 for collaborating with Israel). (JP, MNA 12/6; OCHA 12/8; PCHR 12/9; OCHA 12/10)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts daytime patrols in Azun nr. Qalqilya and Taybeh nr. Ramallah without incident. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists in some locations) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, al-Ma‘sara, and Dayr Nizam/Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 10s suffer tear gas inhalation, 6 Palestinians (including 1 journalist) and 1 American activist are injured, and 4 Palestinian paramedics and 2 Israeli activists are arrested (all are released the same day). Senior Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) officials take part in the Bil‘in demonstration to commemorate the 9th anniversary of the assassination of PFLP Secy. Gen. Abu Ali Mustafa. Jewish settlers fr. Suissa settlement nr. Hebron stone and beat Palestinian shepherds grazing flocks nr. the settlement. (PCHR 9/2; OCHA 9/3)

U.S. special envoy Mitchell returns to the region for 3 days for another round of Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks. No details are released. (NYT, WP 7/1)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 1 mortar fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Later, mbrs. of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) fire several mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, targeting an IDF unit patrolling the border inside Israel, damaging a vehicle but causing no injuries; the unit shells the launch site, killing 1 PFLP mbr. On the n. Gaza border, IDF troops fire warning shots at Palestinian, international activists who stage a nonviolent march to the border fence n. of Bayt Lahiya to protest Israel’s imposition of a no-go zone, causing no injuries. Also in Gaza, Palestinians believed to be fr. an extremist Islamist group destroy a 2d UNRWA summer camp for children nr. Dayr al-Balah, tying up guards, setting a fire, destroying toys and an inflatable pool; another summer camp was destroyed on 5/23. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah. Inside Israel, Israeli police indict 7 Israeli Palestinians arrested in 4/2010 in and nr. Nazareth on charges of supporting al-Qa‘ida and plotting attacks on Jews and Christians; no details are released. (YA 6/28; NYT, WT 6/29; PCHR 7/1; OCHA, WJW 7/2)

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine fires a mortar fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian students protesting the fatal hit-andrun of a Palestinian by a settler on 4/1 (no injuries, 1 arrested); also fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinians fr. Iraq Burin staging a nonviolent protest against settlement expansion (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Hawara (see 4/2) and nr. Hebron. (Gulf Times, YA 4/4; PCHR 4/8; OCHA 4/15)

An IDF drone fires a missile at PFLP mbrs. nr. the Gaza border fence e. of Jabaliya, killing 2 PFLP mbrs., wounding a 3d. In the West Bank, the IDF removes an earthen barrier blocking the northern entrance to Halhul n. of Hebron that has been a major impediment to Palestinian movement along Route 60, the main road in the s. West Bank; demolishes 5 structures on a Palestinian farm nr. Bethlehem; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jerusalem, Ramallah. (OCHA, PCHR 1/6)

Overnight, the IDF carries out air strikes on smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border in retaliation for the PFLP’s 12/31 Grad strikes, lightly injuring 4 Palestinians. Later in the day, after the Popular Resistance Committees (PRCs) fire at least 2 mortars toward the Kerem Shalom crossing (the IDF records 2, while the PRCs claim 5; only 1 lands inside Israel, causing no damage or injuries), the IDF carries out air strikes on an open area e. of Jabaliya in n. Gaza and on a farm in al-Qarara in s. Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. Of note: Israel permanently closes the Nahal Oz crossing, meaning that with the exception of the grain belt operating at Qarni crossing, Kerem Shalom will be the sole transit point for goods coming in and out of Gaza; all fuel shipments will also henceforth go through Kerem Shalom. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at stone-throwing Palestinians and nonviolent international (and, in the case of Bil‘in, Israeli) activists taking part in protests against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 1 Palestinian) and Ni‘lin (injuring 2 Palestinians); prevents Palestinian and international activists fr. planting trees on Palestinian land declared a closed military zone by the IDF, confiscating the trees; patrols in al-‘Arub r.c. in the evening, stopping and questioning a group of Palestinian children, arresting 3 teenagers; conducts synchronized late-night house searches in 3 villages southwest of Jenin, making no arrests; later makes a raid on a 4th village in the same area, also making no arrests. Jewish settlers fr. Yakir nr. Salfit stone a Palestinian car driving on the road to Qalqilya, injuring 2 Palestinians. (YA 1/1; HA 1/2; OCHA, PCHR 1/6)