The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked and injured 1 Israeli soldier and damaged 3 vehicles in the Yitzhar settlement as Israeli forces tried to remove 1 settler-erected tent. Israeli settlers also installed water pipes on Palestinian-owned land in Ein al-Sakout. 14 Palestinians were arrested, including 13 during late-night raids in Beita, al-Khader, Umm Salamuna, and Yatta; 1 was arrested at a checkpoint near Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians at the Damascus Gate plaza using stun grenades and skunk water; 2 Palestinians were arrested. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian lands east of al-Qarara; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces also opened fire at municipal workers at a landfill near Juhor ad-Dik; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Gaza; no injuries were reported. (JP, WAFA, WAFA 10/11; HA, TOI 10/12; PCHR 10/14)

Founder of Rawabi City Bashar Masri announced that he will begin building 400 housing units on land belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church in East Jerusalem near Bayt Hanina. Masri said it had taken him more than 10 years to get the building permits from the Israeli municipality. (WAFA 10/11)

Israel issued permits for 442 undocumented Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza, making them official residents. Israel controls the Palestinian population registry so people without Israeli permits cannot receive a valid PA-issued identity card. More than 10,000 Palestinians are estimated to be living in the West Bank without being registered by Israel. Israel is said to register over 5,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza as part of an agreement made between Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz and PA president Mahmoud Abbas. (HA, TOI 10/11)

The Israeli high court of justice criticized the Israeli military for not protecting Palestinian farmers by enforcing a ban on Israeli settlers in the former Homesh settlement area. Because of the lack of enforcement, Palestinian farmers are frequently attacked by Israeli settlers in the area and Israeli settlers have erected a settlement outpost and a Yeshiva on the land. (HA 10/12)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Pope Francis on the phone. (WAFA 10/11)

Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said that Israel will never renounce its claim to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, even if Syria or its president Bashir al-Assad gains favor with the world. Prime Minister Bennett also said that his government seeks to increase the Israeli settler population in the area from 27,000 to 100,000. (MEE, MEMO, REU, TOI 10/11; ALM 10/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at cars traveling near Burqa, leading to clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians confronting the Israeli settlers. Israeli settlers also physically assaulted 2 Palestinians near al-Ibrahimi Mosque. Israeli forces razed Palestinian-owned land planted with almond trees west of Ramallah. Israeli forces also razed land in Bruqin and Nil‘in. 6 Palestinians were arrested, including 3 during raids in Jenin refugee camp and Hebron, and 3 at a checkpoint near Jit. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers attacked 2 Palestinian minors in Issawiyya; no serious physical injuries were reported. Israeli forces violently dispersed protests in Bayt Hanina, leading to clashes, and arrested 4 Palestinians. Israeli forces also briefly dispersed Palestinians celebrating by the Damascus Gate but allowed the celebrations to carry on shortly after. 2 Palestinians were charged with hate crimes after throwing coffee on an Israeli settler and putting a video of the incident on social media on 4/22. In Gaza, Israel closed the Gaza fishing zone, citing 3 days of rocket fire toward Israel; Israel claimed that 4 Israelis were injured due to the rocket fire, all from tripping while seeking shelter. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting at the Gaza fence for the 3d day in a row, leading to tear-gas related injuries. 2 Palestinians were arrested for crossing into Israel. Israeli forces also opened fire at agricultural lands east of al-Bureij; no injuries were reported. (HA 4/25; HA, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/26; HA, WAFA 4/27; HA 4/28; PCHR 4/29)

The PA announced it will build a new city near Jericho, to be named Sama Qarantal. The city will accommodate between 15,000 and 20,000 people. (WAFA 4/26)

2 Egyptian officials said they had been briefed that PA president Mahmoud Abbas will postpone the Palestinian elections this week, citing Israeli unwillingness to let Palestinians in East Jerusalem partake in the elections. A Palestinian source said that a final decision will be made on 4/29, after a meeting between all Palestinian parties. (AJ, AP, HA 4/27)

Israeli member of Knesset, former minister, and leader of HaTzionut HaDatit (Religious Zionist Party) Bezalel Smotrich threatened that “Arabs are citizens of Israel, for now at least, and they have representatives at the Knesset, for now at least” during a party meeting. Smotrich further said that Palestinian-Israelis can only be “legitimate partners” if they accept Israel as a Jewish state. (HA 4/26)

The U.S. said it fired warning shots at an Iranian navy ship for being too close to 2 U.S. military vessels in the Persian Gulf. (AJ 4/27; AP 4/28)

The IDF conducts air strikes to destroy 2 vacant AMB buildings in n. Gaza; fires 3 shells at the eastern border of Gaza nr. alMaghazi r.c., causing no injuries; demolishes a Palestinian home in Bayt Hanina outside East Jerusalem for being constructed without permits; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus; completes a section of the separation wall btwn. Qalandia checkpoint s. of Ramallah and the al-Ram and Dahiyat al-Barid area nr. Jerusalem. Nr. Tulkarm, 2 Palestinian teenagers throw Molotov cocktails at an IDF patrol, causing no injuries; 1 is shot, wounded by the IDF. Some 20 AMB gunmen occupy the n. Gaza governor’s office, Education Min. offices, and a shari‘a court for several hrs., demanding jobs in the PA security forces; some 400 Palestinians, including AMB mbrs., hold a similar protest outside the Fatah headquarters in Bethlehem. The Jewish “hilltop youth” settlers set up 13 new unauthorized outposts nr. existing settlements in the Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Ramallah areas. (HA, IMEMC, JAZ, REU, YA 12/27; DS, HA, IMEMC, NYT 12/28; PCHR 12/29)