The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian minor succumbed to injuries sustained by Israeli forces during a raid in Balata refugee camp on 2/8. Israeli forces raided ad-Doha, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also demolished 2 structures in al-Buwayb. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided Nablus to take measurements for punitive demolition of 2 homes belonging to families of 2 Palestinians accused of killing an Israeli soldier in October 2022. 1 Palestinian was injured by live ammunition and 20 others by tear gas while protesting the incursion. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Bil’in, Hizma, al-Ram, al-Khader, Jaba’, and Deir Sharaf. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces raided Shu’fat refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces issued a demolition notice for 1 Palestinian home in Kafr ‘Aqab. 2 Palestinians were arrested during a late-night raid in Isawiya. In Gaza, Israeli forces fired tear gas at Palestinian farmers near Beit Lahiya, injuring 1. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/20; AJ, MDW, MEE 2/21; PCHR 2/23; UNOCHA 3/4)

Axios reported that PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh and Israeli national security advisor Tzachi Hanegbi have been in secret talks discussing day-to-day issues and efforts to de-escalate the violence in the West Bank. According to Axios the talks started shortly after prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn-in after the PA had reached out to Netanyahu using the U.S. as a mediator. (AX 2/20)

The Israeli parliament passed the first of three votes to overhaul the judicial branch of government. The bill passed 63-47. Thousands of Israeli protesters gathered outside of the Knesset during the vote. (AJ, AP, MEE, REU 2/20; AP, F24, HA, HA 2/21; IN 2/22)

Israel prevented Ana Miranda, a Spanish member of the European parliament, from entering the West Bank and deported her to Spain after she arrived at Ben Gurion Airport. (WAFA 2/21; MEMO 2/22)

The UN Security Council issued a presidential statement expressing “deep concern and dismay” over Israel’s 2/12 announcement to legalize settlement outposts and expand settlements by more than 10,000 housing units. The U.S. supported the statement which was made in lieu of a vote on a draft resolution calling on Israel to halt settlement activity. It was reported on 2/19 that the U.S. had convinced the UAE and the PA to drop the binding resolution, which the U.S. said it would veto, and instead present the statement. PA UN ambassador Riyad Mansour said that the PA was very happy with the statement. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office released a statement saying that the UNSC “statement should never have been made and the United States should never have joined it.” (ABC, AJ, AP, F24, HA, MEE, REU, TOI, UN, WAFA 2/20; ALM 2/21)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers opened fire at Hizma, causing damage. Israeli settlers also attacked a Palestinian TV crew near Hebron covering the killing of 1 Palestinian woman (see below). Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian near Hebron, claiming that she had opened fire at soldiers and settlers with an M16 rifle; no Israelis were injured. Israeli forces seriously wounded 1 Palestinian near Jaba‘. Israeli forces also sealed off the entrances to Silwad and Kafr al-Dik. Elsewhere, Israeli forces fired tear gas and stun grenades at a car repair shop near al-Za‘ayyem, causing a fire damaging several vehicles. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Huwwara, injuring 2 with rubber-coated bullets and 15 with tear gas. Separately, Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Qalqilya, al-Arqa, and al-Bireh, leading to tear-gas related injuries. 29 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bani Na‘im, al-Dhariyya, al-Ubaydiyya, Tuqu‘, al-Ram, Birzeit, Bil‘in, Beita, Madama, Tell, Qabatiya, Silat al-Harithiyya, al-Tamun, Tubas, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers assaulted church officials at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, causing injuries and 1 hospitalization. 8 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Shu‘fat and Shaykh Jarrah. In Gaza, 13 Palestinians were killed, including 2 children and 1 pregnant woman, and many were injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 219 to 232, including 65 children and 3 pregnant women. The casualties included: 4, including 1 pregnant woman and 1 child, and 2 were wounded in air strikes on 2 houses in Dayr al-Balah; 2, including 1 child, during air strikes in Jabaliya; 2 in air strikes on apartment buildings in Gaza City; 1, and 1 child wounded in artillery shelling in Bayt Hanun; 1 by live ammunition while on agricultural lands east of Juhur al-Dik; 1 Palestinian succumbed to wounds sustained on 5/13 during an air strike on Bayt Hanun; 2 bodies of unidentified Palestinians arrived at al-Shifa Hospital. 7 residential buildings and 1 youth center were demolished in Israeli attacks on Khan Yunis. In Israel, 1 Palestinian-Israeli minor who was shot and injured by Israeli police while sitting in a car with friends in Umm al-Fahm on 5/18 succumbed to his injuries. 1 Israeli man stabbed and injured 1 Palestinian worker from the West Bank in Holon. 58 Palestinian citizens of Israel were reported arrested after the general strike and mass protest on 5/18. 1 Israeli was lightly wounded by a rocket from Gaza in Sderot, 2 other rockets caused damage. 4 rockets were fired at the Haifa and ‘Akka areas from Lebanon; no damage or injuries were reported. Israel subsequently shelled areas of Lebanon; no damage or injuries were reported. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, MEE, PCHR, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/19; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, MEMO, PCHR, PCHR, WAFA 5/20; HA, MEE, MEMO 5/21; NYT 5/26)

Hamas said it estimated that $92 million’s worth of damage was sustained to residential buildings and non-governmental offices since 5/10. $22 million’s worth of damage was sustained to the power grid as people in Gaza only are receiving 3-4 hours of electricity a day. Hamas also said that Gaza’s water supply is hard hit with 95% of the water unfit for drinking. (HA 5/20)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas said in a speech that his efforts to hold elections are ongoing, and that he is “ready to form an internationally accepted unity government.” President Abbas also discussed the situation in Gaza and East Jerusalem with UN secretary-general António Guterres. (WAFA, WAFA 5/19; ALM 5/21)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh spoke with EU representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff in Ramallah, calling on the EU to pressure Israel to stop its aggression in East Jerusalem and Gaza. Prime Minister Shtayyeh also spoke with Facebook executives about Facebook’s censuring of Palestinian voices on its platforms. (WAFA, WAFA 5/19)

An Israeli court ruled that Israeli forces had violated international law when they shot and killed 1 Palestinian 14-year-old in 2004 near Rafah, but that the family was not entitled to compensation, citing a wartime action principle. The Israeli soldiers shot her after she ran away from them as they fired warning shots. After she ran from the soldiers, they fired at her back and the commander shot her again as she lie dead on the ground. The commander was acquitted of all charges at an Israeli military court the year after. (HA 5/20)

A spokesperson for the Israeli military said that it had been trying to assassinate the head of Hamas’s military division Mohammed Deif throughout the duration of the ongoing attack on Gaza. Hamas later told AP that Deif is still alive and in charge of its military operations. (HA 5/19; AP 5/20)

1 Israeli journalist from Channel 20 was fired after saying, during a live broadcast, that “[o]ne [rocket] has fallen on a soccer field in a large Arab community [Shefa-Amr, a Palestinian-Israeli community]. Regretfully for us, it did not result in mass deaths there.” The rocket that the Israeli journalist Kobi Finkler was referring to was fired from Lebanon. (AJ, HA 5/20)

Haaretz reported that applications for gun licenses in Israel had risen 7-fold in the past weeks as violence had been rising in Israel. (HA 5/19)

The UNRWA appealed to have the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings opened for humanitarian access. (AJ 5/19)

U.S. president Joe Biden spoke to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to de-escalate the violence, according to a White House readout. It was the 4th time the 2 spoke in a week. Prime Minister Netanyahu said later in a statement that he was “determined to carry on with the attacks until calm and security are restored to Israeli citizens.” It was also reported that Egypt had secured a ceasefire agreement in principle between Hamas and Israel. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said calm could only be restored if Israel stopped its attack on Jerusalem and Gaza. Netanyahu also told some 70 foreign diplomats that he is considering sending group troops to Gaza to “conquer” it. (AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, AX, HA, HA, MEE, REU 5/19; AP, AP, AX 5/20) 

A letter circulated among House Democrats by Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) called for the U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken to work toward a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, and to provide humanitarian relief to Gaza. The letter also called for more than doubling the U.S. funding to the UNRWA, bringing the U.S. funding back to the level it was before the Trump administration ended all funding. Separately, more than 130 members of the House called on an immediate ceasefire. 3 Democrats in the House, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Mark Pocan (D-WI), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) also introduced a resolution aimed at blocking the $735 million’s worth of arms to Israel. In the Senate, senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, saying that every Palestinian and Israeli life matters; 8 other Democrats later co-sponsored the resolution. (AJ, HA, HA, HA, REU, Twitter 5/19; AJ 5/20)

Facebook said it has set up a center to monitor Arabic and Hebrew content deemed inflammatory or otherwise violating Facebook’s policies. Facebook has been criticized for silencing Palestinian voices on its social media platforms, including Instagram and WhatsApp. (WAFA 5/19; HA 5/20)

250 employees at Alphabet, the parent company of Google, wrote an open letter calling for Alphabet to review all business contracts, terminating those “with institutions that support violations of Palestinian rights,” including the Israeli military. The letter also called for not stifling free speech on Palestine. (AJ, HA, MEE, WAFA 5/19)

At the UN, the U.S. again refused to support a UN security council (UNSC) statement calling for an immediate ceasefire after intensified pressure from France. This was the 4th time the UNSC had met to discuss the escalation between Hamas and Israel since it began and the 4th time that the U.S. has blocked a statement. (AX 5/18; AJ, REU 5/19; HA 5/20)

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa said to France24 that the situation in Gaza, particularly the bombing of homes and confinement to the strip, reminded him of apartheid in South Africa. When asked if Israel was an apartheid state, President Ramaphosa said that the country is an apartheid type of state. (F24 5/19; MEMO, WAFA 5/20; AM 5/21)

Norway’s wealth fund divested from 2 companies, Shapir Engineering and Industry Ltd. and Mivne Real Estate KD Ltd., due to the companies’ involvement in Israeli settlement activity. (AJ 5/20; MEMO 5/21)

Ireland announced $1.83 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. (WAFA 5/20)

The Iranian Red Crescent said it would donate $100,000 to the Palestinian Red Crescent to help treat the wounded in Gaza. (WAFA 5/19)

UNRWA called for extra funding of $38 million to help the organization with its humanitarian efforts after the attacks on Gaza. (WAFA 5/19; AJ 5/20)

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 Gaza Strip, IDF troopsstationed along the n. border open fire on a group of stonethrowing Palestinians, injuring 4. A Palestinian is injured in an explosion nr. the French Cultural Center in Gaza City. (A small armed group takes responsibility for the attack on 12/18.) In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation, as well as the recent death of a senior PA official on 12/10 nr. Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, and 1 village nearby (Bayt Umar), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum). Two Palestinians are hit by tear gas canisters in Bil‘in and 7 are shot with rubbercoated metal bullets elsewhere. Meanwhile, a Palestinian man throws vinegar at a family of 5 Israeli settlers nr. Bethlehem, lightly injuring all of them. (The Israeli press 1st reported the story as an acid attack.) Another Israeli settler hits the Palestinian man with his car and shoots him in the leg, moderately injuring him. Shin Bet officers arrive soon after to detain the Palestinian man. The IDF then conducts a raid of his home. Separately, Palestinians throw stones at IDF troops on a patrol of Bayt Umar nr. Hebron, sparking clashes in which 3 Palestinians are injured with rubber-coated metal bullets. The IDF also patrols in the n. Jordan Valley, where they assault a Palestinian farmer and lightly injure him. IDF troops fire tear gas at dozens of Palestinians throwing stones at the soldiers; 1 Palestinian youth and 1 Israeli officer are injured. Israeli soldiers also conduct a raid s. of Bethlehem; patrol in Tulkarm. Following a march marking Hamas’s 27th anniversary, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, the Israeli police increase their patrols and deploy additional officers around Haram al-Sharif. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WP, YA 12/12; MNA, TOI 12/13; IMEMC 12/14; AFP, PCHR 12/18; EI 12/22)

The Israel Prison Service threatens to move the 70 Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike since 12/9 to criminal sections of their prisons, which would decrease their quality of life, if they continue their strike. (MNA 12/12)

U.S. Secy. of State Kerry phones Russian FM Sergey Lavrov and PA Pres. Abbas separately to discuss the French and Palestinian draft UNSC res. Kerry pressures Abbas not to end security coordination with Israel in response to the 12/10 death of senior PA official Ziad Abu Ein. Following the call, senior PLO and Fatah officials postpone their meeting to discuss a response until 12/14. (JP, MNA 12/13)

The Portuguese parliament adopts a recommendation calling on the govt. to recognize Palestinian statehood “in coordination with the EU.” (AFP, TOI 12/12; HA, IMEMC, WAFA 12/13)

In the Gaza Strip, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops stationed nr. the border open fire on an unarmed 10-year-old Palestinian boy, critically injuring him. Later, the IDF arrests 3 Palestinians who cross the border fence into Israel nr. the Kerem Shalom crossing. In the West Bank, Palestinians gather nr. ‘Askar refugee camp (r.c.) to throw stones at Israeli military vehicles, sparking clashes with the IDF that leave 1 Palestinian injured. IDF troops deliver demolition orders to 5 Palestinian families n. of Qalqilya and temporarily seal all entrances to ‘Azun village e. of Qalqilya; patrol nr. Bethlehem and Hebron. Late in the evening, the IDF conducts arrest raids and house searches in Bil‘in, detaining mayor Basil Mansur, sparking clashes with stone-throwing local residents; conducts arrest raids nr. Hebron and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, 10s of Palestinian women refuse to submit their ID cards to Israeli security officers outside Haram al-Sharif, defying a new Israeli access restriction; Israeli security forces beat several of the women with rifle butts to disperse them. Meanwhile, Israeli security forces escort 30 right-wing Jewish activists into Haram al-Sharif. Separately, IDF troops conduct arrest raids and house searches in 3 other areas of East Jerusalem. At an Israeli cabinet meeting, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu reiterates his pledge to maintain the status quo at Haram al-Sharif, meaning that he intends to respect Jordan’s custody of the area. In West Jerusalem, a Palestinian stabs a Jewish Israeli with a screwdriver, injuring him; Israeli police set up roadblocks around the area in effort to capture the assailant, but he escapes. Late at night, a Palestinian bus driver is found hanged in his bus in West Jerusalem. Israeli authorities allege suicide, but the man’s family believes that Israeli settlers killed him in retaliation for the earlier stabbing. Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces break out in al-Tur, East Jerusalem, in response to the bus driver’s death. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 11/16; AFP, IMEMC, JP, MNA 11/17; PCHR 11/20)

U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry calls Palestinian Authority (PA) Pres. Mahmoud Abbas and tells him the U.S. will veto any UN Security Council (UNSC) res. on ending the Israeli occupation within 2 years. Abbas has been circulating such a res. since his speech at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on 9/26/ 2014. (AP 11/18)

Israeli justice minister Tzipi Livni postpones until 11/23 a debate in her comm. over a new “nation-state” bill, which would enshrine Israel’s status as the national homeland of the Jewish people in the Basic Laws. Netanyahu says that he may sidestep the comm. debate and introduce the bill in the Israeli cabinet. (JTA, REU 11/16)

In the Gaza Strip, unexploded Israeli ordnance kills 3 Palestinians and injures 2 others in e. Gaza City. IDF troops open fire at gravel collectors nr. the border fence e. of Bayt Lahiya, injuring 2. Separately, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land close to the border fence nr. Khan Yunis. The IDF patrols in Jericho and 2 nearby villages, 2 villages nr. Ramallah, and 1 village nr. Hebron. Also, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 4 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, Nil‘in, and Wadi Fukin), 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara) and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum). There are no serious injuries. (MNA 9/19; PCHR 9/25)

French Pres. Hollande meets with PA Pres. Abbas in Paris to discuss Abbas’s plans to go to the UN and ICC. In a joint press conference, Hollande says that a “solution to the conflict” between the Israelis and Palestinians will be put to the UNSC. (AFP, HA 9/19)

Reps. of Iran and the P5+1 group meet in New York for talks on Iran’s disputed nuclear program, with just weeks to go until the 11/24 deadline for a deal over Iran’s nuclear program to be reached. It is the 1st round of talks since the 7/20 deadline was extended. Participants suggest that the parties are close, but with difficult final issues still to resolve. Meanwhile, the IAEA reports that Iran is continuing to take action in compliance with the interim agreement. (AFP, AP, REU 9/19)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Hebron and 1 village nr. Jericho at night. 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), 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara). There are no serious injuries. (PCHR 10/24)

PA Pres. Abbas tells Palestinian television that the PA is considering an appeal to the UNSC in light of what he describes as “serious Israeli violations, especially in Jerusalem and at the Temple Mount.” Abbas also expresses concern that the PA would be unable to pay the salary for all its employees for 11/2013, without further international aid. (HA 10/11; MNA 10/12)

There are protests in Egypt as Muslim Brotherhood supporters continue to demonstrate against the military-backed interim govt. There is 1 reported death, in the Nile Delta province, with clashes also reported in Alexandria and Cairo. (REU 10/12)

In the Gaza Strip, the IDF opens fire on Palestinians gathered close to the border fence nr. Bayt Lahiya and separately nr. Abu Safiya, causing no injuries in either case. In the West Bank, the IDF attacks Palestinian and international activists who built 3 tents on confiscated land e. of Yatta nr. Hebron, demolishing and confiscating the tents. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Qalqilya in the morning; in 1 village nr. Jenin, 1 village nr. Tulkarm, and 1 village nr. Ramallah in the afternoon; in 3 villages each nr. Qaliqlya and Ramallah, and 1 village each nr. Hebron and Jericho at night. The IDF also conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village each nr. Hebron and Salfit at night. Israeli soldiers attack weekly nonviolent demonstrations held by Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals in 4 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, al-Nabi Salih, Budrus), 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum). In all, 1 Palestinian in Budrus is seriously wounded by a rubber-coated bullet and 2 Palestinians in Kafr Qaddum are moderately injured by tear-gas canisters. (PCHR 2/14)

Hassan al-Ouri, legal adviser to Palestinian pres. Abbas, says that the president will pardon a man jailed on 2/6 for insulting the PA leadership. (MNA 2/8)

Palestinian pres. Abbas meets Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan ‘Abdallah Shalah as part national reconciliation talks in Cairo. (MNA 2/8)

Iran’s amb. to Bulgaria Gholamreza Bageri says that Iran had nothing to do with the 7/2012 bombing of a bus in Burgas, following accusations by Bulgarian authorities that Hizballah was behind the attack. (REU 2/8)

The Lebanese military say that Israeli jets conducted mock raids overnight in Lebanese airspace. Meanwhile, a report by Lebanon’s amb. to the UN, Nawaf Salam, is published, detailing 54 violations of UNSC Res. 1701 committed by Israel in 12/2012. (JP, ToI 2/8)

The EU and Russia issue a statement condemning Israeli plans for settlement expansion, citing in particular the proposed E1 development in East Jerusalem. Israeli PM Netanyahu says on Israeli television that he will ignore international condemnation. Meanwhile, adviser to PA pres. Abbas, Nimr Hammad, says that Palestine may complain to the ICC if the UNSC fails to take substantive action over Israeli settlement construction. (JP, MNA, REU 12/21)

In the Gaza Strip, the IDF opens fire on civilians and farmers protesting the buffer zone in 2 separate incidents: by the border fence nr. Jabalya, injuring 2 (1 seriously), and nr. Bayt Lahiya, wounding 2. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 village nr. Jericho in the morning, in 1 village each nr. Jericho and Ramallah in the afternoon, and in Jericho, 3 villages nr. Ramallah, and 1 village nr. Tulkarm at night. Israeli soldiers attack weekly nonviolent demonstrations held by Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, al-Nabi Salih) and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara). There are no serious injuries, except in Bil‘in, where 2 Palestinians are wounded with live ammunition. (PCHR 12/27)

Palestinian refugees begin to return to Yarmuk r.c. nr. Damascus after a deal was brokered by UN-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi’s representative Mokhtar Lamani to keep the fighting out of the area. UNRWA estimates that around 100,000 of the camp’s 150,000 inhabitants fled during recent clashes, many taking refuge in the parks and squares of the capital. (AFP, AP 12/21)