The Palestine Chronology

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Gaza City open fire on agricultural lands along the border fence, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct late-night raids and house searches in 2 villages nr. Hebron and 1 nr. Nablus, arresting 3 Palestinians; patrol during the day in 2 villages nr. Hebron and 1 nr. Jenin. Israeli forces demolish a scrap-selling facility nr. Hebron and another structure nr. al-Jalaita. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians on late-night raids in the Old City, Silwan, and Kafr ‘Aqab , as well as 1 Palestinian as he is exiting Haram al-Sharif. (MNA, WAFA 7/20; PCHR 7/30)

Israel’s Knesset passes into a law an amendment to the penal code that will allow convicted stone-throwers to be sentenced to 10–20 years in prison. Furthermore, state prosecutors will no longer have to prove that those accused were trying to damage cars or harm people in order to secure convictions. (HA, TOI, YA 7/21)

The EU Council reaffirms its commitment to the Middle East peace process and the 2-state solution, saying in a statement that it now depends on a “fundamental change” in Israeli policy. The council also calls on the Israeli govt. to “halt plans” to evacuate and relocate the Palestinian village Susiya nr. Hebron, for the PA to take “greater responsibility” in Gaza, and for the EU to fully implement its policies regarding Israel’s settlements. (AFP, EU press release, MEMO, YA 7/20; JP, MNA 7/21)

The UNSC unanimously approves a res. endorsing the nuclear deal announced by the P5+1 and Iran on 7/14. The UN, U.S., and EU will begin preparing to lift sanctions, so they can do so immediately when the IAEA reports that Iran has, by the end of 2015, accounted for its past and present nuclear activities and undertaken steps to constrain its nuclear program. (AFP, HA, REU, TOI, WAFA, YA 7/20)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man in al-Tur after he drives his car into a crowd, injuring 2 border police guards. Israeli forces demolish a 3-story building in Ras al-Amud claiming it was built without a license. In the West Bank, Israeli forces close the entrance to a village nr. Nablus after a Palestinian throws a Molotov cocktail at a settler’s car. The IDF also conducts late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jenin, and Nablus, and in Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, arresting 14 Palestinians; patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah during the day. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 5/20; MNA, PCHR, WAFA 5/21; PCHR 5/28)

Following public criticism and consultation with DM Moshe Ya’alon, Israeli PM Netanyahu orders the suspension of the new 3-mo. pilot project restricting Palestinian travel, initiated on 5/19. Ya’alon says he will continue his efforts to reduce the number of Palestinians entering Israel illegally. (HA, MNA, NYT, TOI, YA 5/20) 

EU foreign policy chief Mogherini meets with Netanyahu in Israel, who says he is still committed to the 2-state solution and he proposes a new round of peace negotiations with the Palestinians with the specific goal of establishing borders for Israel’s West Bank settlement blocs (the news of his proposal will not break until 5/26). Also, Mogherini reportedly tells Netanyahu that the European campaign calling for labeling of products from Israeli settlements is unstoppable. The PM’s office will deny that they discussed the labeling campaign when the news breaks on 6/2. Mogherini also meets with PA pres. Abbas and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat in Ramallah. (HA, JP, YA 5/20; WAFA 5/21; HA, REU, TOI 5/26; HA 6/2)

Norwegian FM Børge Brende meets with Netanyahu in Jerusalem and tells him that international pressure on Israel regarding its treatment of the Palestinians will likely resume after the P5+1 (the 5 permanent mbrs. of the UN Security Council plus Germany) reach a comprehensive agreement with Iran by their 6/30 deadline. (LF 5/19; EI, HA, 5/20; HA, YA 5/21)

On 2 occasions off the coast of Gaza nr. Jabaliya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in Bayt Jala village nr. Bethlehem, disrupting Palm Sunday celebrations. The IDF also conducts raids and house searches in 3 villages nr. Nablus, 1 village nr. Ramallah, and Jenin, arresting 18 Palestinians; patrols in 2 villages each nr. Jenin and Ramallah, and 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Jericho. Israeli forces deliver a demolition notice to a warehouse nr. Jenin. An Israeli settler rams a herd of Palestinian-owned sheep with his car nr. Qalqilya, injuring 29 of them. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault a group of Muslim worshippers at Haram alSharif, then they detain 3. Israeli forces also demolish part of a Palestinian’s home in the Old City; conduct house searches and raids in Ras al-Amud, Shu‘fat, and the Old City, arresting 9 Palestinians. (MNA, WAFA 3/29; PCHR 4/2)

On the 2d day of the Arab League’s 26th annual summit, the collected ministers agree to form a special comm. to organize the creation of a detailed timetable for the end of Israel’s occupation. (AFP, YA 3/29; JP 4/7)

Reps. of the Joint List and Palestinian activists conclude their 4-day march from unrecognized villages in the Negev to Pres. Rivlin’s residence in Jerusalem. Although he had earlier agreed to greet them, he is in Singapore for a state funeral. The coalition’s chair, Ayman Odeh, delivers a report on Palestinian bedouin communities in the Negev to Rivlin’s wife instead. (HA, WAFA 3/29; AFP, HA, WAFA 3/30)

EU amb. to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen says that the EU is not currently reassessing its policies regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, despite the recent reports that it is considering new sanctions on Israel’s settlements as an incentive for a new round of peace negotiations. He adds that the EU supports in principle a UNSC res. calling for a timetable on the Israeli occupation. (TOI 3/30)

Chinese FM Wang Yi, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, and UK Foreign Secy. Hammond join the 4th consecutive day of negotiations between the P5+1 and Iran in Lausanne, Switzerland. (AFP, ALM, AP, REU 3/29; HA 3/30; NYT 3/31)

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, 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 West Bank, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian at a junction between Bethlehem and Hebron, later alleging that the man was attempting to steal a car. The IDF raids the home of 2 PA security officers nr. Nablus, and Palestinian officials call it a provocative step. On a late-night arrest raid in Jenin r.c., Israeli soldiers shoot and injure a Palestinian man with rubber-coated metal bullets and arrest 4 others, sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents and arresting 1 more. Hours after unknown assailants shoot at an Israeli military vehicle nr. Abud village n. of Ramallah, Israeli forces conduct house-to-house raids in the village, fire stun grenades and flares, and shut down a road leading to a nearby monastery. The IDF also conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Salfit and Hebron; demolishes 1 Palestinian home and 2 animal shelters in a village nr. Ramallah; arrests a Palestinian outside the Gush Etzion settlement nr. Bethlehem. Separately, an Israeli settler runs over with his car 2 sheep belonging to a Palestinian nr. Nablus. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli authorities reopen the Erez border crossing, having closed it on 1/8. IDF troops e. of Rafah open fire on agricultural land nr. the border fence, causing damage. Dozens of employees of the Hamas-run govt. protest outside the PA unity govt.’s headquarters in Gaza City, calling for their full salaries to be paid for the 1st time since 6/2. In East Jerusalem, unknown Israelis vandalize 11 Palestinian-owned vehicles in Bayt Safafa, puncturing tires and leaving racist pricetag graffiti. Israeli forces conduct a house search in al-‘Izzariya, arresting 2 Palestinians. In s. Israel, an Israeli police officer shoots and kills a 22-year-old Palestinian with live ammunition during an arrest raid in Rahat in the Negev, sparking clashes between the police and local Palestinians. Separately, Israeli forces demolish several steel structures in the nearby Palestinian bedouin village al-‘Araqib. This is the 80th time Israeli authorities have ordered demolitions in the village since 2010, when it was 1st targeted. (JP, MEE, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA 1/14; MNA, PCHR, WAFA 1/15; EI 1/16; PCHR 1/22; OCHA 1/23)

Hamas reactivates Gaza’s separate Palestinian Legislative Council and convenes a session of the body, a move that contravenes the national reconciliation deal that was announced on 4/23. No other parties attend the session. The decision comes after 2 weeks of increased tension between Hamas and the PA unity govt. (AFP, MNA, NYT 1/14; MNA 1/15)

PA Pres. Abbas meets with Egyptian pres. al-Sisi in Cairo to discuss Abbas’s proposed resubmission of the draft UNSC res. and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. (MNA, REU, WAFA 1/14)

U.S. Secy. of State Kerry meets with Iranian FM Zarif in Geneva to discuss the negotiations over Iran’s disputed nuclear program. Kerry says he is hoping to “accelerate the process to make greater progress,” but he will not participate in the coming 3 days of bilateral talks or the broader talks between reps. of Iran and the full P5+1 on 1/18. (ALM 1/17)

In the Sinai Peninsula, the Sinai Province of the Islamic State kills 3 bedouins suspected of collaborating with Israel. (MNA 1/15)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops e. of Khan Yunis open fire on Palestinians as they approach the border fence, causing no injuries. Meanwhile, 100s of civil servants hired by the Hamas-run govt. protest the fact that they have not been paid since 6/2/2014. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Bayt Umar nr. Hebron, sparking clashes with residents; 5 Palestinians are injured with rubber-coated metal bullets. The IDF also patrols nr. Hebron, Ramallah, and Jenin. Israeli settlers vandalize Palestinian property in Turmus ‘Ayya village nr. Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct house searches and arrest raids in al-Tur. (MNA 1/13, 1/14; PCHR 1/15; OCHA 1/23)

Before departing Ankara for Cairo, PA Pres. Abbas confirms that the Palestinian leadership would like to resubmit their draft res. to the UNSC after they refer the issue to the Arab Peace Initiative for approval. (JP, WAFA 1/14)

An official in the former Hamas-run govt. in Gaza says that some security personnel hired after 2007 will receive NIS 1,000 (around $250) on 1/15, their 1st payment since 6/2. Civil servants employed by the Hamas-run govt. were paid a partial salary of around NIS 4,800 (around $1,245) on 10/29. (AFP, MNA 1/13)

The U.S. State Dept. announces that any bill Congress passes regarding new sanctions on Iran will be vetoed by the pres. Meanwhile, Pres. Obama calls Israeli PM Netanyahu to brief him on the negotiations with Iran, ahead of the meeting between reps. of Iran and the P5+1 in Geneva set for 1/15. (JP 1/14)

The Gaza power plant resumes operations of a 2d turbine (of 4 total), following the recent receipt of fuel shipments. The plant was shut down completely between 12/28 and 1/4. (WAFA 1/6; MEMO, MNA 1/7; OCHA 1/15)

UN Secy.-Gen. Ban Ki-moon confirms that the State of Palestine will become a mbr. of the ICC on 4/1, hours after the ICC acknowledges that Palestinian authorities have formally recognized the court’s jurisdiction over the oPt starting retroactively on 6/13, a key legal declaration. (MNA, WAFA 1/6; JP, RT, WAFA 1/7)

Hamas accuses the PA unity govt. of reallocating funds meant for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the PA cabinet condemns the 1/4 Israeli settlement announcement. (MNA, WAFA 1/6)

A Hamas delegation arrives in Iran to participate in the 28th International Conference on Islamic Unity. (AP, CNN, HA, JP, REU 1/6; IRNA 1/9; AP 1/12)

The French govt. denounces the Palestinian resubmission of their UNSC draft res., with FM Fabius saying, “We are against this spiraling out of control.” (REU 1/6)