The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, 4 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Nablus and Bayt Duqqu. During the raid in Bayt Duqqu, clashes erupted between Israeli forces and Palestinians; no injuries were reported. During the raid in Nablus, Israeli forces seized a vehicle and 2 computers. During a different late-night raid in Bayt Umar, Israeli forces seized 1 vehicle, 500 Jordanian Dinars ($700) and 3,500 NIS ($1,000). Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles traveling near the Homesh settlement, causing damage to 25 vehicles and injuries to Palestinians from shattered glass. Israeli settlers also attacked 2 Israeli police officers disguised as Palestinian technicians at the Bat Ayin settlement. The 2 settlers were arrested by the Israeli police officers. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian agricultural lands east of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA 12/31; HA 1/1; PCHR 1/2)

In Baghdad, Iraqi protesters attacked the U.S. embassy after funerals were held for the 25 members of Kata’ib Hezbollah who were killed in U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria on 12/29. Protesters managed to enter the embassy compound and ignited several fires. It was reported that the U.S. ambassador and staff were evacuated from the embassy before the protesters entered the compound. U.S. forces remained inside the embassy throughout the attack. According to an Associated Press reporter, a loudspeaker urged the protesters to leave, saying “the message was delivered.” U.S. president Donald Trump said in a tweet that Iran orchestrated the attack on the U.S. embassy in Iraq and that he holds Iran “fully responsible.” As the events were unfolding, U.S. secretary of defense Mark Esper said that the U.S. was deploying some 750 additional troops to the Middle East. (AJ, AJ, AP, CNN, Guardian, HA, HA, REU, WP 12/31; HA 1/1)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian child was injured by a rubber-coated bullet fired by Israeli forces at the weekly anti-settlement protests in Kafr Qaddum near Qalqilya; other protesters suffered from tear gas inhalation. In East Jerusalem, 2 medics from the Palestinian Red Crescent were assaulted by Israeli police near the Lions’ Gate while treating a patient. On the 1st Friday of Ramadan, some 180,000 Muslim worshippers were reported to have been praying in and around the Haram al-Sharif compound for Friday prayers. In Gaza, Israeli forces killed 1 Palestinian using live ammunition and injured another 32 during the Great March of Return protest. This brings the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 221. Israeli forces injured 1 Palestinian farmer using live ammunition while he was working his land east of Gaza City. (AJ, HA, MNA, MNA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/10)

Israel reopened the Gaza fishing zone and expanded it to 12 nautical miles in the southern half off Gaza’s shore and 6 nautical miles off the northern half. The fishing zone had been completely closed since 5/4. Israel also partly reopened the Kerem Shalom border crossing for commercial traffic. (AJ, HA, MNA, MNA 5/10)

The U.S. department of defense announced that it would send a Patriot missile defense battery and another warship to the Middle East as tensions between Iran and the U.S. have been rising in recent weeks. (DOD 5/10; HA 5/11; AJ 5/12)

The annual report by the Israeli state comptroller showed that Israeli government ministries have neglected housing problems in Palestinian communities in Israel. (HA 5/10)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces gave evacuation notices for land seizure to several Palestinians in Bittir near Bethlehem and Halhul and Bayt Umar near Hebron. Israeli forces also gave notice to Palestinians in 7 villages in the Nablus area that 406 dunams (100 acres) will be seized by Israel for a settler-only road and 384 dunams (94 acres) for a military road in the northern Jordan Valley. In Hebron, several Palestinian students, a teacher, and a janitor suffered from tear gas inhalation when Israeli forces fired tear gas into the school yard. The teacher and janitor were taken to a hospital for treatment. Israeli forces also halted construction of a road west of Yatta near Hebron. South of Bethlehem, a Palestinian was hospitalized after an Israeli settler rammed his car. In East Jerusalem, 2 Palestinians were injured and 3 arrested by Israeli police after a confrontation with Israeli settlers. Israeli settlers also sealed the door to the Shaykh Makki Mosque in the Old City for a 3d time (2 previous sealings happened in March). An Israeli court released 5 Palestinians who had been detained since March but banned them from returning to their homes in Silwan for 30 days. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces fired at Palestinian fishermen 3 nautical miles offshore from al-Sudaniyya. Israeli forces also razed farmland and fired at Palestinians near Bayt Lahiya; no injuries were reported. (HA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/8)

After the postponement of the Palestinian prisoners’ hunger strike reported on 4/7, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails started an open-ended hunger strike to protest their treatment by the Israelis. (HA, WAFA 4/8)

A French employee at the French consulate in Jerusalem was sentenced to 7 years in prison by an Israeli court for smuggling arms from Gaza to the West Bank. He confessed to having smuggled 30 guns, receiving $7,200 for his services. (HA 4/8; MEMO 4/9)

Russian president Vladimir Putin said weeks after U.S. president Donald Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty of the Golan Heights that the U.S. change of policy is “a violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions.” (MNA 4/9)

In response to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comment on 4/6 that he would extend Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank, the Arab League’s assistant secretary-general Saeed Abu Ali said that such actions would lead to “dangerous repercussions” and called for an “immediate official investigation” by the International Criminal Court of “the ongoing settlement crimes in the Palestinian territories.” (MEMO 4/9)

In a White House statement, President Trump announced that the U.S had decided to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization. Prime Minister Netanyahu later tweeted on his Hebrew language account, “Thank you for the answer to another important request that serves the interests of our country and the region,” implying that the terror designation was made upon request by Netanyahu. On Netanyahu’s English language Twitter account, the word “request” was omitted. (NPR 4/8; HILL 4/9; HA 4/10)

One Palestinian is shot and killed and at least 9 others are injured during clashes with Israeli settlers and IDF troops in al-Mughayyir village near Ramallah (1 settler is lightly injured as well). The clashes reportedly stemmed from a dispute at a Palestinian olive grove outside the village. The nature of the dispute is unclear. Later in the day, there are conflicting reports about the perpetrator of the killing. All agree that the settlers used live ammunition. Some witnesses say that the IDF did too, despite the IDF’s claim to have only used “riot dispersal” methods. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 8 Palestinians during late-night raids near Ramallah and Bethlehem; and patrol near Jenin and Nablus. An Israeli settler attacks 2 Palestinians with an axe near Salfit, causing them both light injuries. Settlers chase Palestinian children from an olive grove near Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and kill a West Bank Palestinian during a high-speed chase outside the Old City. The Israeli police later say that the man was suspected of driving a stolen vehicle. Separately, a Palestinian demolishes 2 rooms of his home in Silwan to avoid paying Israeli demolition fees. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops fire tear gas at a group of Palestinian minors setting tires on fire and rolling them toward the border fence near al-Bureij refugee camp; 1 Palestinian is injured. Separately, IDF troops arrest a Palestinian attempting to cross the border fence armed with a knife and wire cutters. In 3 separate incidents off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Rafah and Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, HA, MNA, MNA, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/26; AFP, EI, HA, MNA, MNA 1/27; PCHR 1/31)

After several delays over the past 2 weeks, vehicles bearing $9.4 million in Qatari funds enter Gaza. Half the money is distributed to families in urgent need today. The other half is set to be distributed on 1/27. (AFP, HA, TOI, YA 1/26)

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says that Hezbollah, Iran, and the Syrian government are considering ending their policy of not retaliating against Israel for its sorties in Syrian territory. “At any moment the Syrian leadership and the axis of resistance can take a decision to deal with the Israeli aggression in a different manner,” he says. Nasrallah also says that despite the Israeli campaign to uncover and destroy Hezbollah’s tunnels leading into northern Israel, the group is still prepared for an invasion. “The uncovering of the tunnels does not affect by 10 percent our plans to take over the Galilee,” he adds. “If we decide to do it—even if they’ve destroyed the tunnels—can’t we rebuild them?” (TOI, TOI 1/26)