The Palestine Chronology

IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s settlements, the separation wall, and occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih), Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, and along Gaza’s border nr. al-Bureij r.c.; 1 Palestinian is killed in Gaza and 3 are injured. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops clash with stone-throwing Palestinians outside Tuqu‘ village nr. Bethlehem; 1 Palestinian is injured. IDF troops issue 2 Palestinians arrest summons during late-night raids nr. Hebron and patrol nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians during raids in the Old City and Silwan. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on a group of Palestinian youths nr. Gaza City. There are no injuries in either incident. In Israel, thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel gather in Kafr Kanna and other villages to protest a bill, approved in a Knesset comm. on 11/13, that would bar mosques from broadcasting the call to prayer (see JPS 46 [2]). (HA, MNA, TOI, YA 11/18; PCHR 11/24)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for the 5th of 5 planned days. (MNA 11/18; OCHA 12/2)

Debate over moving toward a universal draft threatens to split Netanyahu’s newly expanded coalition. UltraOrthodox groups, angry over calls to remove their exemption from service based on religious reasons, raise the issue of service waivers for Palestinian citizens of Israel. The 2002 Tal Law exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews engaged in religious studies was invalidated by the High Court in 2/2012 and is set to expire at the end of 7/2012. (NYT 6/30)

Israel’s Housing Min. publishes tenders for the construction of 171 housing units in Gilo and Pisgat Ze’ev settlements in East Jerusalem. IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Bureij r.c. catch and arrest 3 Palestinians (including 2 teenagers) attempting to sneak into Israel to find work. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages each nr. Ramallah and Salfit in the morning; and in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm and 1 each nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah late at night. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Kafr Qaddum, al-Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin. IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (al-Nabi Salih only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 5 Palestinians are lightly injured by tear gas canisters (4 in Kafr Qaddum, including a child; 1 in Bil‘in). (PCHR 7/5; OCHA 7/13)

UNESCO’s World Heritage Comm. approves (13–6) a Palestinian request to place Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on its list of world heritage sites at risk because of its urgent need for repairs. The U.S. strongly opposed the request, stating the church was not imperiled. Israel denounces the vote, saying, ‘‘UNESCO is motivated by political and not cultural considerations.’’ (WP 6/30)

By late afternoon, cross-border incidents in Gaza resume, with Palestinians firing some 26 rockets and mortars and Israeli warplanes and drones carrying out at least 5 air strikes. One Palestinian rocket hits a factory in Sderot, injuring 1 Israeli civilian; the Israeli strikes kill at least 2 Palestinians (both armed) and injure at least 23 (2 militants, 6 PASF officers, and 15 civilians, including 1 woman and 1 child). Israel’s targets included a rocket-launching team nr. al-Bureij r.c. (1 killed); a group of armed Palestinians nr. Jabaliya (1 killed, 2 wounded); 2 IQB training camps in n. and c. Gaza (11 bystanders injured); and a PASF compound in the center of Gaza City (6 PASF officers and 4 bystanders injured). Israel now estimates that Palestinians have fired more than 130 rockets and mortars into Israel since 6/18. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in al-Nabi Salih in the morning; in 2 villages nr. Jericho and 1 each nr. Jenin and Ramallah in the afternoon; and in Jericho, neighboring ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c., 1 nearby village, and 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah late at night. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Kafr Qaddum, al-Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin. IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (al-Nabi Salih only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 1 Palestinian is hit by a tear gas canister in Bayt Umar and moderately injured. (YA 6/22; HA, NYT, WP 6/23; PCHR 6/28; OCHA 6/29)

IDF troops on the c. Gaza border fire 2 artillery shells at a Palestinian Authority security forces (PASF) building e. of al-Bureij refugee camp (r.c.), causing no injuries. Unidentified Palestinians fire 3 homemade Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 5 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 nr. Qalqilya in the morning; patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon; patrols in 2 villages nr. Salfit, 1 nr. Ramallah late at night; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin in the morning and in Aqabat Jabir r.c. late at night. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil’in, Nabi Salih, and Ni`lin nr. Ramallah and in Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; all demonstrations except those in Kafr Qaddum also call for solidarity with hunger-striking Islamic Jihad prisoner Khader Adnan, who is on the 63d day of a fast to protest Israel’s administrative detention policy. IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (Nabi Salih only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; a total of 7 Palestinians are injured. (YA 2/17, JP 2/18; PCHR 2/23; OCHA 2/24)

Abbas says that Israel has offered nothing new in talks in Jordan, but that 2 more mtgs. are planned in hopes that the sides can agree on baselines for resuming negotiations before the Quartet’s 1/26/12 target date. (NYT 1/13)

Israel’s High Court upholds (6-5) a controversial law that bans most Palestinians who marry Israeli citizens fr. obtaining citizenship on the ground this would pose a security threat. IDF troops on the c. Gaza border fire 2 artillery shells at a group of armed Palestinians nr. the border e. of al-Bureij r.c., moderately wounding 2. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 4 villages nr. Ramallah and 2 nr. Tulkarm (synchronized) in the morning; in 2 villages nr. Jenin (firing tear gas and percussion grenades at stone-throwing youths in 1 instance), 2 nr. Jericho, and 1 nr. Salfit in the afternoon; and in Birzeit late at night. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Nabi Saleh. (WP 1/13; PCHR 1/19; OCHA 1/20)

IDF troops on the c. Gaza border fire warning shots at a Palestinian grazing sheep too near the border fence e. of Bureij r.c., wounding her in the foot. In the evening, the IDF shells an open area n. of Jabaliya town; 1 woman is sent to the hospital in shock. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts morning patrols in Jericho, nearby Aqabat Jabir r.c., Qalqilya and 1 nearby village, and 1 village nr. Ramallah; conducts late-night patrols in 3 villages nr. Jenin, Ramallah (photographing several houses and old mosques in Um Safa), and Tulkarm. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil’in, Ni’lin, and Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 3 Palestinians in Bil’in are injured by rubber-coated steel bullets. (PCHR 1/12; OCHA 1/13)

Jerusalem Post International republishes Sudanese media reports claiming that in the previous month, the Israeli air force struck at least 2 weapons convoys in Sudan believed headed for Gaza. The Sudanese military denies the reports, and Israel declines to comment. The Israeli navy has been operating in the Red Sea in recent years in effort to halt arms smuggling to Hamas and Hizballah. (JPI 1/6)

A computer hacker identifying himself as a Saudi Arabian teenager with the handle 0xOmar hacks 3 Israeli credit card companies and publishes online the credit card data and security information of at least 20,000 Israelis. While unable to confirm the identity of the hacker or hackers, the Israeli government calls it an act of cyberterrorism intended to harm the Israeli economy. (NYT 1/7; WP 1/8; JPI 1/17)

Israeli naval vessels fire on a Palestinian fishing boat off the n. Gaza shore, moderately wounding 1 Palestinian. Late in the evening, IDF troops on the c. Gaza border direct heavy fire on open areas e. of al-Bureij r.c., killing a Palestinian guard manning the al-Bureij sewage facility. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin late in the evening; conducts late-night patrols in and around Tulkarm. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil’in, Kafr Qaddum, Ni’lin, and Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers beat and fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; in Kafr Qaddum, 1 Palestinian is injured by a tear gas canister and another is arrested. In Silwan, East Jerusalem, the IDF arrests 2 Palestinian teenagers for arguing with a group of Jewish settlers who took over a Palestinian swimming hole. (PCHR 12/22; OCHA 12/23)

Obama and Netanyahu hold a difficult but “productive” meeting at the White House to discuss the peace process, particularly their views on the 1967 borders as the basis of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Afterward, Obama stresses their points of agreement, while Netanyahu criticizes Obama as “unrealistic.” (CSM 5/20; NYT, WP 5/21)

IDF troops on the s. Gaza border e. of Abasan fire warning shots at Palestinians staging a nonviolent march to the border fence to protest Israel’s imposition of a no-go zone, wounding 1 Palestinian. Late at night, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border shell and fire on a Palestinian teenager nr. the c. Gaza border fence e. of al-Bureij r.c., killing him. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 nr. Salfit, and 1 nr. Tulkarm. Nr. Hebron, 2 Palestinian children are injured when they accidentally trigger unexploded IDF ordnance. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in and Ni‘lin nr. Ramallah, Nabi Salih in the north c. West Bank. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 1 Palestinian and 1 international activist; 10 Israelis and 1 international are arrested. (PCHR 5/26; OCHA 5/27)

The IDF makes a major air strike on Bureij r.c. in Gaza, destroying 1 building and damaging 8 nearby houses and a poultry farm, injuring 1 child. The IDF also makes 4 air strikes on an Islamic Jihad training site nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in a village nr. Tulkarm. In the West Bank, Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih/Dayr Nizam nr. Ramallah, and nr. Beit Romano settlement in Hebron. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 7 Palestinians (including 1 child); 3 international activists and 1 Israeli journalist are arrested. Fatah cancels its call for a “day of rage” against the 2/18 U.S. veto, fearing that turnout would reflect support for Hamas (see 2/19). (PCHR 3/3; OCHA 3/4)

IDF troops make a brief incursion into c. Gaza northeast of al-Bureij r.c. to level land and clear lines of sight. In the West Bank, an IDF undercover unit enters Nabi Salih in the morning, arresting a 10- yr.-old Palestinian boy for throwing stones. The IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm and nr. Jenin. (PCHR 1/27; OCHA 1/28)

With the support of the majority of parliament, Lebanese pres. Suleiman taps Hizballah’s candidate, billionaire Sunni businessman Najib Mikati, as PM designate to form the next Lebanese government. (NYT, WP 1/25)

In the morning, Israeli drones make an air strike on a car driving w. of Gaza City, assassinating Army of Islam (AOI) senior mbr. Muhammad al-Nemnem, wounding 2 bystanders; Israel later accuses Nemnem of involvement in “attacks against Israeli and U.S. targets in the Sinai Peninsula.” The IDF makes a brief incursion into c. Gaza e. of al-Bureij r.c. to level land and clear lines of sight; an Israeli tank fires a shell at the surrounding area, but no damage or injuries are reported. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols without incident in al-Yamun village in the afternoon; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and in Nabi Salih. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces conduct early morning arrest raids, house searches in Silwan, detaining 5 Palestinians (including 4 children ages 13–16). Of note: Israel prevents fmr. PA PM and negotiations adviser Ahmed Qurai‘ from crossing into Jordan via the Allenby crossing, citing a previously unannounced decision by the government that from now on only Pres. Abbas and PM Fayyad would receive special treatment; Israeli security officials say the decision had to do with Qurai‘’s recent statements denouncing Israel’s settlement policy. The PASF for the 1st time arrests a Palestinian for selling goods made in a Jewish settlement, enforcing the PA’s 4/2010 law prohibiting the sale of settlement-produced products (see Quarterly Updates in JPS 156–57); the defendant is jailed in Bethlehem pending trial. (MNA, YA 11/3; NYT, PCHR, UNSCO 11/4; OCHA 11/5; OCHA, PCHR 11/11)