In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at 2 Palestinian farmers tending their land in Shushahla near Bethlehem. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinians who were trying to force...
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November 22, 2020
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May 26, 2020
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with Israeli force protection razed 47 dunams (11.6 acres) of Palestinian-owned land between Dayr Dibwan and Rammun. Israeli forces prevented Palestinian...
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October 7, 2019
In the West Bank, Israeli forces confiscated a water tank in Anata, halted construction for a water well in the northern Jordan Valley, and razed 30 dunams (7.4 acres) of land south of Hebron. 3...
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March 25, 2019
Unidentified persons launch a rocket from Gaza into central Israel. It strikes an Israeli home north of Tel Aviv, injuring 7 Jewish Israelis and causing damage. The Israeli Air Force then...
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September 15, 2016
Unidentified Gazans fire a mortar shell into Israel, which lands in an open area, causing no damage or injuries. Holding Hamas accountable for all rocket attacks emanating from Gaza, the IDF...
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July 17, 2016
The IDF continues its closure of Hebron and the surrounding district, patrolling throughout the region during the day. Meanwhile, IDF troops deliver stop-work orders to a water well under...
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April 5, 2016
For the 2d day in a row, the IEC cuts off power to a major West Bank city, this time affecting parts of Hebron from 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. It is the 3d time the IEC has...
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January 14, 2016
IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian close to the Bayt ‘Aynun junction nr. Hebron after he allegedly attempts to stab one of them, and the Palestinian Red Crescent reports that Israeli forces...
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May 26, 2015
In Gaza, a group claiming affiliation with the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) fires a rocket into Israel nr. Ashdod, causing no damage or injuries (the group will not take credit until 6...
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January 3, 2012
In Amman, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators meet with Quartet reps. (including special envoy Blair) and then with Jordanian FM Nasser Judeh. Judeh says that the Palestinian team, as requested,...
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December 22, 2011
The IDF makes a brief incursion into n. Gaza in the morning to level lands and clear lines of sight along the border e. of Jabaliya r.c., firing on nearby residential areas to keep Palestinians...
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November 24, 2011
Hamas leader Mishal and PA pres. and Fatah head Abbas meet for 2 hrs. in Cairo to hold the 1st detailed talks since 8/2011 on implementing their 5/2011 national unity deal (see QU in JPS 161)....
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June 14, 2011
In Gaza, 1 Palestinian is injured in a smuggling tunnel accident on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes the bedouin village of Fasayil al-Wusta in the Jordan Valley, saying it...
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February 17, 2011
Overnight, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire on and shell a group of Palestinians nr. the n. Gaza border fence, killing 3 Palestinians; Palestinians say the 3 were unarmed men attempting to...
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December 26, 2010
Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the c. Gaza coast, forcing them back to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF raids 2 school yards nr. Hebron and Jenin in the morning,...
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September 9, 2004
The IDF expands its incursion into Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, and Jabaliya r.c., with tanks and helicopters firing randomly between houses and into open fields allegedly to deter Palestinians fr....
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at 2 Palestinian farmers tending their land in Shushahla near Bethlehem. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinians who were trying to force settlers to leave their land near Susiya. Israeli forces raided a high school east of Qalqilya. Israeli forces also delivered a stop-work order for a water well and seized a drill in al-Khadir. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided 1 high school in Qalqilya; no arrests were made. 5 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested, including 3 during house raids in the Old City and Issawiyya; 1 was arrested at the Haram al-Sharif compound. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/22; PCHR 11/26)
A member of Gaza’s pandemic task force warned that Gaza was inching toward inability to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic as 79 of 100 ventilators in Gaza are in use. (REU 11/22)
Axios reported that Israeli officials said Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to the Saudi Arabian city Neom to meet with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo for a secret meeting. Neither side confirmed the meeting, but a public flight radar showed a private plane flying from Tel Aviv to Neom. It was also reported that the director of the Mossad Yossi Cohen took part in the meeting. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Netanyahu said at a memorial for David Ben-Gurion that U.S. president-elect Joe Biden should not rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. (AX, HA, REU 11/22; AJ, AP, AX, BBC, FT, GDN, HA, HA, REU 11/23; HA 11/25)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with Israeli force protection razed 47 dunams (11.6 acres) of Palestinian-owned land between Dayr Dibwan and Rammun. Israeli forces prevented Palestinian worshippers from accessing al-Ibrahimi Mosque. Israeli forces also demolished 1 agricultural shed in Aqraba and delivered demolition notifications for 10 water wells in al-Zawiya. 2 Palestinians were arrested at checkpoints near Qalqilya and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, authorities banned 1 Palestinian Waqf guard from entering the Haram al-Sharif compound for 6 months. 4 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Issawiyya. In Gaza, 1 Palestinian minor was killed after picking up an unexploded ordinance near his home in Bayt Lahiya. Israeli forces opened fire on agricultural lands east of Dayr al-Balah east of Khuza‘a and north of Bayt Lahiya; no injuries were reported (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/26; PCHR, PCHR 5/28)
The ICC requested from the PA clarification about which agreements with Israel it had ended as this could affect the ICC probe into war crimes committed by Israel and Hamas in the occupied Palestinian territories. (HA 5/27)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces confiscated a water tank in Anata, halted construction for a water well in the northern Jordan Valley, and razed 30 dunams (7.4 acres) of land south of Hebron. 3 Palestinians working on restoring the water well in the Jordan Valley were arrested. Another 12 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Jenin, Qalqilya, Salfit, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Hebron. Israeli forces also raided a cultural center near Ramallah, confiscating documents. Israeli settlers uprooted 36 olive trees near Burin. 2 Palestinians were injured by Israeli forces using rubber-coated bullets in separate incidents near checkpoints in Jenin and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested in al-Tur. In Gaza, 1 Palestinian who was injured during the Great March of Return prostest on 4/19 succumbed to his wounds. This brings the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 229. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/7; PCHR 10/10)
Unidentified persons launch a rocket from Gaza into central Israel. It strikes an Israeli home north of Tel Aviv, injuring 7 Jewish Israelis and causing damage. The Israeli Air Force then retaliates with dozens of air strikes on Hamas sites all across Gaza, causing extensive damage and injuring at least 3 Palestinians. Palestinians in Gaza respond, firing at least 50 projectiles into southern Israel and setting of hours of cross-border attacks. An hour after an Egyptian- and UN-backed cease-fire is supposed to go into effect, 30 projectiles are fired into Israel from Gaza. Most are intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. The rest land in open areas, causing no damage or injuries. The Israeli Air Force then continues its air strikes across Gaza, bombing at least 15 targets in and around Jabaliya refugee camp and causing extensive damage. (EI, HA, HA, HA, JP, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, TOI, TOI, WAFA, YA, YA 3/25; HA, MNA, YA 3/26; PCHR 3/28)
After a rocket from Gaza strikes an Israeli home near Tel Aviv (see above), Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces that he is cutting his trip to the U.S. short. He still meets with President Donald Trump at the White House, but he skips his planned address at the annual AIPAC conference. At their meeting, Trump signs a formal declaration conveying U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, codifying his 3/21 pledge. Meanwhile, the Israeli authorities decide to indefinitely shut down the Erez and Kerem Shalom border crossings, blocking all traffic of persons and good in and out of Gaza. (EI, HA, HA, HA, JP, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, TOI, TOI, WAFA, YA, YA 3/25; HA, MNA, YA 3/26)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers spray-paint racist anti-Palestinian graffiti on Palestinian vehicles and buildings near Jerusalem. They also puncture the tires of 28 Palestinian vehicles. Separately, settlers chop down a number of olive and almond trees in a Palestinian grove near Hebron. Israeli forces deliver stop-work orders to 2 Palestinian homes under construction near Hebron and a water well under construction near Tubas. IDF troops arrest 6 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron and Ramallah; and patrol near Salfit and Qalqilya. An unexploded piece of Israeli ordnance detonates near Bethlehem, injuring 3 Palestinian minors. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 9 Palestinians during late-night raids in al-Tur, Jabal Mukabir, Hizma, and Silwan. (MNA, MNA, MNA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/25; PCHR 3/28)
Unidentified Gazans fire a mortar shell into Israel, which lands in an open area, causing no damage or injuries. Holding Hamas accountable for all rocket attacks emanating from Gaza, the IDF carries out air strikes on 3 Hamas military sites nr. Bayt Lahiya and in Gaza City, causing damage and destroying 2 nearby agricultural structures and a water well. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 9/15; PCHR 9/22)
During overnight raids nr. Hebron, IDF troops shoot and fatally injure a Palestinian attempting to escape arrest. Later in the day, IDF troops arrest 2 more Palestinians during raids nr. Nablus and Hebron, and patrol nr. Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces evict a Palestinian family from their home in the Old City to make room for Jewish-only housing in the area. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian youth in Hizma allegedly planning to carry out a stabbing attack. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. al-Bureij r.c. (MNA 9/15; HA, MNA, TOI 9/16; PCHR 9/22)
The IDF continues its closure of Hebron and the surrounding district, patrolling throughout the region during the day. Meanwhile, IDF troops deliver stop-work orders to a water well under construction in a village nr. Hebron and to several houses and animal barns in the Jordan Valley. They also conduct house searches and raids nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, and Qalqilya, arresting 8 Palestinians, assaulting and injuring 1, and issuing an arrest summons to 1. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian trying to get on the Jerusalem Light Rail while carrying 3 pipe bombs. He was reportedly planning an attack on Israeli civilians during rush hour. They also arrest 4 Palestinians during late-night raids in Issawiyya. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Jabaliya r.c., causing no damage or injuries. (HA, WAFA 7/17; PCHR 7/21; JP 8/2)
For the 2d day in a row, the IEC cuts off power to a major West Bank city, this time affecting parts of Hebron from 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. It is the 3d time the IEC has implemented its plan to intermittently and punitively disrupt power supplies to areas of the West Bank in response to unpaid debts. (HA, JP, MNA 4/5)
Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working nr. Rafah, causing no injuries. Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nearby. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a slaughterhouse, a balcony, and a water well in a village nr. Bethlehem and force a number of Palestinian shops to close in a village nr. Nablus, arresting 2 Palestinians who allegedly threw stones at them. IDF troops also conduct latenight raids and house searches in Nablus and nr. Hebron arresting 9 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 2; take measurements and photographs of a home nr. Hebron, threatening punitive demolition; and patrol nr. Qalqilya, Jenin, and Hebron. Israeli settlers enter a village nr. Nablus late at night, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; 1 Palestinian is injured. Meanwhile, Palestinian youths throw Molotov cocktails at Israeli forces on a patrol nr. Ramallah; there are no serious injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raid al-Quds University in Abu Dis, destroying and confiscating property, and issue an arrest summons for a Palestinian journalist during a raid in al-Thawri. Israeli police arrest 2 right-wing Jewish activists attempting to sneak into Haram al-Sharif disguised as Muslims. (MNA, WAFA 4/5; MNA 4/6; PCHR 4/7)
The day after Israeli PM Netanyahu invited him to Jerusalem for a face-to-face meeting, PA pres. Abbas says that he is prepared to work with Israel to stop and monitor “mutual incitement,” calling for the reinstatement of the joint Palestinian-Israeli-U.S. comm. for monitoring incitement, which was established as part of the Wye River Memorandum in 1998 and met regularly until 9/2000. (JP 4/5; TOI 4/6)
IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian close to the Bayt ‘Aynun junction nr. Hebron after he allegedly attempts to stab one of them, and the Palestinian Red Crescent reports that Israeli forces prevented medics from treating the man. The incident sparks brief clashes between the IDF and stone-throwers; there are no injuries. Separately, IDF troops shoot and kill a 2d Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Nablus after he stabs and lightly injures an Israeli officer. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolish 4 greenhouses and a water well in the Jordan Valley, a home under construction in a village nr. Hebron, and 2 livestock structures outside al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in 1 village each nr. Salfit and Bethlehem, arresting 1 Palestinian and issuing an arrest summons to 1; patrols in Jenin and 1 village each nr. Tulkarm, Qalqilya, and Salfit, as well as 5 nr. Hebron. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Bayt Lahiya. The Israeli authorities shut down the Kerem Shalom border crossing temporarily due to an escalation of violence in the n. Sinai (the Egyptian army kills 30 fighters with SPIS and other armed groups in operations today nr. Rafah, Shaykh Zuwayd, and al-Arish). Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces arrest 2 Palestinian fishermen working nr. Bayt Lahiya and confiscate their boat. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police violently disperse an educational event allegedly organized by the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement (Israel banned the Northern Branch on 11/16); 1 Palestinian is arrested and there are no serious injuries. Israeli forces also assault 1 Palestinian and arrest another on raids in Silwan. (AHR, HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 1/14; JP, MNA 1/15; PCHR 1/21)
In Gaza, a group claiming affiliation with the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) fires a rocket into Israel nr. Ashdod, causing no damage or injuries (the group will not take credit until 6/1). Holding Hamas responsible for any projectile fire from Gaza and asserting that Islamic Jihad was the culprit, Israeli Air Force (IAF) jets strike 4 Islamic Jihad, Popular Resistance Comms. (PRC), and Hamas training sites in Rafah, Khan Yunis, and Bayt Lahiya late at night, causing damage but no casualties. Off the coast nr. Khan Yunis and then nr. Gaza City, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, injuring a fisherman in the later incident. Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for passage into Gaza only (they will keep it open through 5/28). In the West Bank, IDF troops chase down, shoot, and injure 4 Palestinian workers nr. Qalqilya. Separately, 4 Israeli soldiers detain and assault a Palestinian trying to cross over the separation wall nr. Qalqilya. Unidentified gunmen shoot and injure a Palestinian man in s. Hebron. The IDF conducts late-night raids and house searches late at night in and around Hebron, and in 1 village nr. Nablus, arresting 9 Palestinians; patrols during the day nr. Jericho and Hebron. Israeli forces photograph an electricity network nr. Hebron, then deliver a notice demanding its operations be suspended. They also deliver a stop-work notice for a water well under construction nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct a late-night raid in Jabal Mukabir, arresting 1 Palestinian. (AP, HA, MNA, WAFA 5/26; HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 5/27; PCHR 5/28; JP 6/10)
In Amman, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators meet with Quartet reps. (including special envoy Blair) and then with Jordanian FM Nasser Judeh. Judeh says that the Palestinian team, as requested, turned over its position papers on security and borders and that the Israeli team formally received them. The sides have agreed to hold talks “on a continual basis” in Jordan to explore reviving formal negotiations and to observe a media blackout, with only Judeh issuing public statements after the sessions. Israel does not submit its own comprehensive position papers, but pledges “that through this continuing dialogue there will be an Israeli counterproposal or an Israeli response.” (WJW 1/3; NYT, WP 1/4; WT 1/5)
IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials inside the demolished Erez industrial zone, forcing them to flee. IDF troops make a brief incursion into s. Gaza to level land and clear lines of sight along the border fence e. of Abasan and Khuza, firing toward nearby residential areas to keep Palestinians indoors (causing no reported injuries). Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts morning patrols in Jenin and (synchronized) in 3 villages nr. Ramallah; conducts evening patrols in Tulkarm and 1 village nr. Jenin; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya. OCHA reports that since 12/21, the IDF has demolished 25 water-related structures (wells, cisterns, water pools, and water storage tanks) used for domestic and agricultural purposes; 21 were in Hebron governorate, 4 in Salfit governorate. OCHA also reports that in the past 2 wks., the IDF has demolished the remaining structures on the Palestinian side of the Qarni crossing, which Israel closed on 3/2/11 when the Kerem Shalom crossing became fully operational. (OCHA, PCHR 1/5)
The Israeli High Court accepts an agmt. reached between the state and settlers under which the state agrees to suspend plans to demolish immediately 9 structures in the Ramat Gilad unauthorized settlement outpost, giving the settlers until 3/2012 to remove the structures themselves. The settlers claim that the state has agreed in exchange to expand the zoning boundaries for nearby Karnei Shomron settlement to include Ramat Gilad (retroactively legalizing the outpost), but the official documents submitted to the court do not say this. (JPI 1/3)
The IDF makes a brief incursion into n. Gaza in the morning to level lands and clear lines of sight along the border e. of Jabaliya r.c., firing on nearby residential areas to keep Palestinians indoors. In Dura and Ithna villages nr. Hebron, the IDF destroys 1 Palestinian home, part of 2 other homes, 9 agricultural pools and irrigation networks, 4 water tanks, and 5 wells, also confiscating 15 water pumps and other agricultural equipment. The IDF also patrols in 3 villages nr. Qalqilya and 1 nr. Jenin in the evening; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem and neighboring Dahaysha r.c. Washington Jewish Week reports that in the previous wk., Israel’s Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court rejected 2 lawsuits demanding the eviction of Palestinian families fr. their Silwan homes; the suits were brought by Eldad, an organization seeking to Judaize Jerusalem in part by settling Jews in the predominantly Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, nr. the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount. (WJW 12/22; PCHR 12/29; OCHA 1/5)
At the close of 2 days of talks in Cairo, Fatah’s Abbas and Hamas’s Mishal agree that they will both sit on the comm. that will prepare for the next elections of the PLO’s parliament-in-exile, the Palestinian National Council (PNC), marking a major step toward Hamas joining the PLO. They also agree to form an interim unity government by the end of 1/2012 and to bring elected Hamas-affiliated legislators back into the PA’s parliament, the Palestinian Council (PC), in 2/2012. (NYT, AP, WP, WT 12/23; HA 12/28)
Reports indicate that Hamas is scaling back its presence in Syria because of violence there, but overall feels buoyed by the Arab Spring. Senior Hamas official Mahmud Zahar states that Hamas feels strengthened and validated by the popular support shown for Islamist parties in countries affected by the Arab Spring, suggesting that the new Tunisian model of power-sharing among Islamist and secular nationalist parties could be a model for the Palestinians. (WP 12/22)
Hamas leader Mishal and PA pres. and Fatah head Abbas meet for 2 hrs. in Cairo to hold the 1st detailed talks since 8/2011 on implementing their 5/2011 national unity deal (see QU in JPS 161). They approve a 2-page document (leaked to AFP on 11/24, which publishes excerpts, but not released publicly) reiterating their commitment to the main elements of the 5/2011 accord, agreeing to observe a truce in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (including halting political arrests), vowing to increase “popular resistance” to oppose Israel’s settlement expansion and construction of the separation wall, and pledging that the factions would agree on the “style” of popular resistance and form “a framework to direct it.” In an interview with AFP later in the day, Mishal clarifies that Hamas believes in both armed and popular resistance, stating “armed struggle is our right. How we use it, and when we use it, is something different.” Mishal and Abbas fail, however, to resolve key issues regarding composition of an interim unity government and elections. Though both call the meeting positive, sources say (e.g., WP 11/25) that the meeting “raised new questions about whether the rivals are serious about working together or just going through the motions.” (AFP 11/24; NHR, NYT, WP, WT 11/25; WP 12/22)
IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers working their fields nr. the no-go zone, forcing them to flee. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them back to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF troops operating in the Hebron area demolish a mosque, 2 Palestinian homes, a rabbit farm, and a generator and block up a cave used as an agricultural storeroom in Yatta village; demolish 1 Palestinian home, 3 wells, and 3 agricultural storehouses in Ithna village; bulldoze a residential tent and an animal pen in Khirbat Susia. The IDF also patrols in 5 villages nr. Jenin (1 village is entered twice; 3 villages are entered simultaneously) and 3 villages nr. Qalqilya (2 villages are entered simultaneously). (PCHR 12/1; OCHA 12/2)
In Gaza, 1 Palestinian is injured in a smuggling tunnel accident on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes the bedouin village of Fasayil al-Wusta in the Jordan Valley, saying it was erected on state land nr. a settler-only bypass road, displacing 103 bedouin (including 63 children); demolishes 2 wells nr. Hebron; patrols in 3 villages nr. Jenin and 1 nr. Tulkarm in the morning; arrests Qalqilya Fatah official Muhammad Walawil and his brother during the day, without giving cause; raids Tulkarm late at night to arrest 3 Palestinians who had ignored orders to appear before an Israeli military court on 6/13/11 to testify against a Palestinian prisoner. The IDF also escorts 8 Israeli MKs on a rare daytime visit to Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus, where they publicly call on the government to declare sovereignty over the site. Jewish settlers in Hebron vandalize nearby Palestinian homes. (WT 6/15; JPI 6/24)
Overnight, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire on and shell a group of Palestinians nr. the n. Gaza border fence, killing 3 Palestinians; Palestinians say the 3 were unarmed men attempting to sneak into Israel to find work, but the IDF claims they were armed men preparing to lay explosive devices along the border. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 3 wells and an agricultural storehouse nr. a settler-only bypass road nr. Hebron; seals and patrols in Jit nr. Qalqilya during the afternoon. In Ramallah, some 1,000 young Palestinians hold a rally calling for national unity and reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas. (AFP, WP 2/18; PCHR 2/24; OCHA 2/25)
U.S. pres. Barack Obama phones PA pres. Mahmud Abbas to urge him to delay a 2/18 vote on a UN Security Council (UNSC) res. reaffirming that Israeli settlements are illegal and an obstacle to peace or agree to a compromise UNSC presidential statement (less than a res.) criticizing settlements and urging the sides to resume negotiations. Abbas agrees to convene an emergency meeting of the PLO Exec. Comm. (PLOEC) and Fatah Central Comm. (FCC) to consider the matter. (HA 2/17; HA, MNA, NYT 2/18)
After violence overnight (see 2/16), Bahrain’s govt. declares martial law, deploying the military to the streets and warning of a “sectarian abyss”; the main Shi‘i political party withdraws fr. parliament, protesting the acts of the minority Sunni leadership; and opposition groups call for massive demonstrations after Friday prayers on 2/18. (NYT, WP, WT 2/18)
In Libya, protesters in 5 main cities observe a “Day of Rage” against Qaddafi, clashing with govt. forces, leaving at least 12 protesters dead and 10s wounded; the govt. cuts phone and Internet service and bars journalists to prevent coverage. Serious clashes in and around Benghazi continue on 2/18. (NYT, WP, WT 2/18; NYT, WP 2/19)
Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the c. Gaza coast, forcing them back to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF raids 2 school yards nr. Hebron and Jenin in the morning, detaining 2 Palestinian teenagers for throwing stones at passing soldiers; conducts latenight patrols in Jayyus village nr. Qalqilya and in Tulkarm; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Jenin town and r.c. and nr. Bethlehem and Hebron. Palestinian, Israeli, and French activists demonstrate against the separation wall nr. Bil‘in village and the Qalandia checkpoint into Jerusalem; the IDF fires tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets, and stun grenades at the protesters (causing no serious injuries) and arrests 9 French activists and a Palestinian press photographer. Jewish settlers fr. Gilad settlement nr. Qalqilya vandalize a Palestinian water well and agricultural plot nearby. (PCHR 12/30; OCHA 12/31)
The IDF expands its incursion into Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, and Jabaliya r.c., with tanks and helicopters firing randomly between houses and into open fields allegedly to deter Palestinians fr. firing Qassam rockets into Israel, killing 5 Palestinians (including a 10-yr.-old boy), wounding at least 53, bulldozing 90 d., and demolishing 12 Palestinian homes, 2 brick factories, 1 workshop, 1 agricultural storehouse, 3 wells. In s. Gaza, the IDF fatally shoots an unarmed Palestinian who strays too near Gush Katif; fires on residential area of Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, the IDF arrests a Palestinian who attempts to stab, lightly injures an IDF soldier outside Kiryat Arba settlement; detains some 40 Palestinians at checkpoints around Hebron, holds them at nearby Jewish settlements for hrs. of questioning, beating some before releasing them; send troops into Rafidiyya nr. Nablus, fires on houses, then fires on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them; bulldozes 5 d. of olive groves nr. Hebron’s Bnei Hefer settlement; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and around Bethlehem, Jenin, Qalqilya, Ramallah. An IDF jeep fatally runs over a Palestinian in Amari r.c. (MM, PCHR, XIN 9/9; VOI, VOP 9/9 in WNC 9/11; NYT, WP, WT 9/10; PR 9/15; PCHR 9/16)