The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Nabi Salih, killing 1 Palestinian using live ammunition. Israeli forces also raided al-Quds University campus in Abu Dis, firing tear gas; 17 Palestinians suffered from tear gas inhalation. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished a car repair shop in al-Lubban al-Sharqiya and 2 agricultural structures in Khirbat al-Fakhit. Israeli forces also demolished 1 house and 1 water tank and assaulted and arrested 1 elderly Palestinian man protesting the demolition. 18 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in al-Am‘ari refugee camp, ‘Arura, Sinjil, al-Eizariya, ‘Anata, Beit Sahour, Husan, Beit Fajjar, Hebron, Beit Umar, Jenin, ‘Askar refugee camp, and Kafr Qaddum; 1 Palestinian was injured during the raid in Hebron as Israeli forces fired stun grenades at Palestinians protesting the raid. In Jerusalem, Palestinians protested outside of the municipality building against home demolitions in East Jerusalem. (AJ, AP, HA, MDW, MEE, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, TOI 2/15; PCHR 2/16; PCHR 2/17; UNOCHA 2/28)

The PA foreign ministry summoned Hungarian representative to Palestine Csaba Rada in order to complain that the Hungarian city of Hévíz has made a twinning agreement with the Samaria Regional Settlement Council, representing several settlements in the West Bank. (WAFA 2/15; MEMO 2/16)

Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett met with Bahrain’s king Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and prime minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, building on the 2 countries’ normalization deal. (AJ, AP, HA, MEMO, NYT, REU 2/14; AJ, ALM, AP, HA, REU 2/15; HA, HA 2/16)

The police in the Philippines said it had uncovered an attempt by Hamas to recruit local militants to commit attacks on Israelis in the country. The police claimed that a man named Fares al-Shikli had offered financial support in exchange for attacks on Israelis. (HA, JP 2/15; ALM 2/19)

According to Israel’s Channel 12 and the news outlet Globes, Morocco had signed an order to buy the Israel Aerospace Industries’ Barak MX Integrated Air and Defense system for more than $500 million. (HA 2/15)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers opened fire at 2 Palestinian children near Yatta; no injuries were reported. 5 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Dura, Bayt Ula, Sa‘ir, and Dheisheh refugee camp; during the raid in Dheisheh refugee camp, Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians with live ammunition. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands east of Johor al-Dik; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA 3/11; PCHR 3/18)

PA health minister Mai al-Kaila said that the PA will receive a donation of 100,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine from China. Health Minister al-Kaila also said she had urged COVAX to stand by its initial promise of providing vaccines for Palestinians. According to al-Kaila, COVAX had originally promised vaccines to arrive in mid-February but now they are scheduled for May, and the number of vaccines earmarked for the PA is reduced to 168,000 down from 240,000. A shipment of 40,000 Sputnik V vaccine doses arrived in Gaza donated by the UAE. The former Fatah politician Mohammad Dahlan claimed responsibility for the shipment as he is a close advisor to the UAE crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed. (HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/11)

Israeli authorities banned PA governor of Jerusalem Adnan Ghaith from communicating with 50 Palestinians in the West Bank, including PA president Mahmoud Abbas and all members of the Fatah Central Committee. (WAFA 3/11)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas, in his capacity as leader of Fatah, ejected Nasser al-Kidwa from the Fatah party because al-Kidwa had announced he would run on his own electoral list in the upcoming Palestinian elections. (AJ, ALM, AP, HA, YNET, WAFA 3/11)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly canceled a trip to the UAE, where he was to meet with UAE crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed, because his wife Sara Netanyahu was hospitalized with appendicitis. Other reports suggested that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s trip was canceled due to a political conflict with Jordan over the cancelation of the Jordanian crown prince Hussein bin Abdullah’s visit to the Haram al-Sharif compound on 3/10, which was canceled because Israel and Jordan could not agree on security arrangement. In turn, Jordan is said not to have allowed Netanyahu to use Jordanian air space to get to the UAE. It was later reported that Netanyahu had ordered Israeli air space closed to Jordan in retaliation, but that the Israeli transportation ministry had stalled the order, which was eventually canceled. (AJ, ALM, AP, HA, HA, HA, JP, REU, REU, REU 3/11; WAFA 3/12; HA 3/14)

Prime minister of the Czech Republic Andrej Babiš and prime minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán visited Israel to discuss cooperation in vaccine research and development with Prime Minister Netanyahu. During the trip, Prime Minister Babiš also opened a diplomatic office in Jerusalem. The Czech Republic received a donation of COVID-19 vaccines from Israel earlier this month. The PA and the Arab League condemned the Czech Republic’s decision to open the office in Jerusalem. (REU 3/9; HA, HA 3/11; ALM 3/12; AJ, HA, WAFA 3/13; HA, WAFA 3/14)

The Israeli state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries and the UAE state-owned weapons maker EDGE announced that they would develop an advanced drone defense system together. (ALM, REU 3/11; HA 3/12; JP 3/13)

Israel said it had concluded a military drill with Greece, Cyprus, and France in the Mediterranean Sea. (AJ, ALM, AP 3/12)

The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel has attacked at least 12 Iranian ships carrying oil and other goods en route to Syria since 2019, according to U.S. sources. 1 of the U.S. sources said that the Trump administration had tacitly supported the attacks. (HA, WSJ 3/11; ALM 3/15; HA 3/20)

Representatives from the UN, EU, Egypt, Jordan, Germany, and France met to discuss reviving talks between Israel and Palestine after the 2 countries’ elections this year. (AP 3/11)

A Los Angeles judge ruled to deny pro-Israeli lawyer David Abrams’s request to publicize the list of 64 presenters at a 2018 conference sponsored by Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA). Abrams, who works for the Zionist Advocacy Center, claimed he was looking for information related to “anti-Israel terrorists” but was ultimately not allowed to dox the pro-Palestinian activists. The UCLA police had concluded that none of the speakers were “terrorists.” (PalLegal 3/11; LAT 3/17)

Military Action:

First contingent of 22 British troops arrives to join MNF, will patrol road south of airport.

Casualties:

17 killed, 34 wounded as artillery duels continue in the Aley and Chouf areas; 7 murdered in Sidon area as Phalange pursues campaign to force Palestinians to leave area or concentrate in Ain el-Hilweh camp.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Begin in Knesset rejects Reagan plan and says settlements cannot be frozen; Israel Aircraft Industries signs contract to repair and maintain helicopters for US Army in Europe.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanese-Israeli-US negotiating teams meeting in Netanya step up frequency of meetings, disagree over Israeli demand for 28 mile deep security zone; Phalangists reported to agree in principle to President Gemayel's plan to extend control of regular army into East Beirut and surrounding suburbs; Prime Minister Wazzan meets Arafat in Tunis regarding withdrawal of PLO; Pierre Gemayel accuses Israel of trying to partition Lebanon and divide Muslims and Christians