The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian herders in Kisan with sticks, injuring 2, including a child. Israeli forces killed 14 Palestinians, including a PA officer, during a raid in Jenin and Jenin refugee camp. During the raid Israeli forces opened fire at ambulances, used drones to attack buildings with airstrikes, and used 4 bulldozers to raze paved streets. Israeli forces also shot and killed 4 Palestinians during raids in al-Am’ari refugee camp, Balata refugee camp, Hebron, and Bethlehem. Meanwhile, Israeli forces shot and injured 69 Palestinians during raids in Bethlehem, Beit Furik, Aqraba, Ni’lin, Jenin, Balata refugee camp, and al-Bireh. Israeli forces also displaced 20 Palestinian families from their homes in Khirbet Tana, demolishing homes and destroying beehives. 50 Palestinians, mostly people from Gaza working in Israel before 10/7, were arrested in Barta’a. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 243 Palestinians and injured around 430 others. Israeli airstrikes targeted the vicinity of al-Nasr Hospital, al-Awda Hospital, the Indonesian Hospital, and al-Shifa Hospital, killing at least 3 people and causing significant damage to the hospitals and 2 ambulances.  Israeli said it assassinated Hamas member Ibrahim Abu-Ma’asiv in an airstrike. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza. In South Lebanon, anti-tank missiles were fired at Israel and Israel attacked Lebanon. In Eilat, Israel said a drone launched from Syria damaged a school in Eilat. Israel also said it deployed its Arrow 3 missile defense system for the first time to intercept a surface-to-surface missile fired at Eilat, reportedly from Yemen. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/9; AJ, AJ, HA, REU 11/10)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 10,818 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,412 children and 2,918 women, and 26,905 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,450 people were buried in rubble, including 1,350 children. 173 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 46 children. More than 2,492 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. 35 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/6, at least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 45% of all housing units. 65 trucks carrying aid to Gaza and 7 ambulances entered via the Rafah crossing. 12 injured Palestinians and 695 foreign passport holders were evacuated from Gaza to Egypt. Around 50,000 people fled north Gaza to the south, bringing the total number to 122,000 since 11/5. UNRWA launched a flash appeal for $481 million to address the humanitarian needs in Gaza and the West Bank. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 11/9; WAFA 11/10)

The PA Finance Ministry said it returned its tax revenue to Israel due to Israel deducting $600 million Israel said is earmarked for administrative expenses in Gaza. (WAFA 11/9)

Israel arrested High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel chairperson Mohammed Barakeh and former MKs Haneen Zoabi, Sami Abou Shehadeh, and Mtanes Shehadeh who were planning to attend a small anti-war protest in Nazareth. Since Israel has banned large anti-war protests, Barakeh said he had told Nazereth police that he and 40 others would rally together, leading to his arrest. Protesters later demonstrated against the arrests of the Palestinian leaders outside of a police station in Tel Aviv; 15 were arrested. After the Palestinian leaders were released, Abou Shahadeh said he was arrested for “being a Palestinian citizen calling to end the war. By contrast, If I were a Jewish citizen calling for a genocide of Palestinians I could become a minister.”  (AJ, HA, HA, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA 11/9; NYT 11/10)

Hamas said 1 Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Islamic Jihad released a video of an Israeli child and elderly woman that it said it wanted to release for humanitarian reasons. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU 11/9; NYT 11/10)

Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashal arrived in Cairo, reportedly to discuss a prisoner exchange. (AJ, HA 11/9)

During a speech at an aid conference in Paris, PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said that Hamas could not be eliminated because it is not just a military organization but “also an idea.” Shtayyeh also said Israel was waging war against all Palestinians, violating international law. French president Emmanuel Macron, who hosted the conference, said civilians in Gaza must be protected, calling for humanitarian pauses and for countries to work on a ceasefire. Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry complained that the international community has an “imbalance” in its conscience when it ignores Israeli violations of international law. Separately, PA presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said Israel’s aim is to kill as many Palestinians as possible, referring to the many killed in the West Bank as Israel attacks Gaza. Abu Rudeineh called on the U.S. to force Israel to stop its attacks. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki met with UK foreign secretary James Cleverly in Riyadh, calling on the UK to help achieve a ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/9)

Haaretz reported an increase in Israeli soldiers publishing videos of themselves beating and humiliating Palestinians they have arrested in the West Bank. (HA 11/9)

A report by the UNDP and the ESCWA said Palestinian GDP had shrunk 4% during the first month of Israel’s attacks on Gaza. It projected that if the attacks continue for a second month it will drop by 8.4%, and by 12% if attacks continue for a third month. (AJ, HA 11/9; AJ, AJ, AP, AP 11/10)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson Ofir Gendelman tweeted a video he claimed showed Palestinians staging people being injured and evacuated. However, the video was backstage footage from the Lebanese short film The Reality. Gendelman kept the tweet up even after X (formerly known as Twitter) clarified what the video actually showed. (DB 11/9)

U.S. president Joe Biden said Israel had agreed to daily 4-hour pauses in its attacks on Gaza to allow Palestinians in the north to flee south, saying it had taken longer for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to the pauses than he had hoped. Biden also said had asked for longer pauses that would help facilitate the release of captives. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Palestinians fleeing the north of Gaza should be able to return. Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the pauses a “particularly serious mistake.” Netanyahu clarified in an interview with Fox News that he does not seek to govern Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU 11/9; AJ, AP, HA, REU 11/10)

The Israeli organization HonestReporting said it had identified CNN, AP, and Reuters contributors who covered the Hamas Operation Al Aqsa Flood on 10/7, claiming they must have had knowledge of the operation prior to it or participated in it. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz and National Security Minister Ben-Gvir said the journalists should be treated as terrorists. Likud Party MK Danny Danon said the journalist would be added to Israel’s kill list. The New York Times, which employs one of the freelance journalists, called HonestReporting’s allegations “reckless” and said it endangered their journalists in Gaza and Israel. CNN said it cut relations with 1 of the freelance journalists that HonestReporting posted a photo of standing next to Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU 11/9)

CIA director William Burns and Mossad director David Barnea traveled to Doha for meetings with Qatari prime minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani regarding a potential prisoner swap. Al Thani reportedly held a meeting with Hamas officials in Qatar on 11/8. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 11/9)

Belgian minister of development cooperation Caroline Gennez said her government was considering recognizing the state of Palestine and would donate $2.1 million in aid to Palestine and $5.3 million to the ICC. (AJ 11/9)

Media workers staged a sit-in demonstration at the New York Times headquarters, criticizing the newspaper’s pro-Israel bias. The American Postal Workers Union called for a ceasefire. (AJ, HA 11/9; AJ 11/10)

The Syrian Aviation Authority said the Damascus International Airport would not reopen for another week. The airport has been closed since 10/12 due to Israeli airstrikes damaging the runway. (HA 11/9)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian shepherds and international activists using stones and batons near Yatta, damaging 1 vehicle. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Umm Safa and Ya‘bad. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers with military protection raided al-Twana; 1 Palestinian was shot by Israeli forces using live ammunition and 7 others were shot by rubber-coated bullets. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian who allegedly shot and injured 2 soldiers at a checkpoint near Madama. 6 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 during house raids in and around Bethlehem, Surayf, Abu Dis, and al-Khadir, and 1 at a checkpoint near Jenin. In East Jerusalem, 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Issawiyya and the Old City. In Gaza, 50 Palestinians were killed, including 11 children and 2 pregnant women, and dozens were injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 64 to 114, including 27 children and 2 pregnant women. The casualties included: 6, including 2 children, and 25 wounded, including 7 children, in artillery fire at Um al-Nasar village near Bayt Lahiya; 10, including 4 children and 1 pregnant woman, and 52 wounded, in air strikes on apartment buildings in Bayt Lahiya; 2 in air strikes on al-Bureij refugee camp; 1 in al-Turkman in an airstrike; 1 child, and 8 others injured, in an air strike on an apartment building in Bayt Hanun; 2 in an air strike near a hospital in Bayt Hanun; 2 in air strikes on Tal al-Hawa; 4, including 2 children, and 5 wounded, in air strikes on a residential building in al-Bureij refugee camp; 6, including 2 children and 1 pregnant woman, and 22 wounded, including 10 children, in air strikes on 2 houses in Rafah; the bodies of 14 Palestinians were found at a military site; Hamas claimed that the 14 had died of toxic gases from Israeli weapons. Additionally, the headquarters of the interior ministry’s security division was destroyed near Bayt Lahiya and Khan Yunis, as well as 1 ministry of transportation building in Bayt Lahiya. In Israel, 1 Jewish-Israeli man was injured in a stabbing in Lydda. 1 Muslim cemetery and 1 synagogue were vandalized in Lydda. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian-Israeli man with a rubber-coated bullet as he was filming the soldiers from the inside of his house in Jaffa. Israeli right-wingers attacked Palestinian-Israelis and Israeli journalists in the Hatikva neighborhood of Tel Aviv. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in ‘Akka and Israeli right-wingers attacked 1 Palestinian-owned grocery store. 3 rockets were fired at Israel from Lebanon; all 3 landed in the sea. Dozens of rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza, most of them intercepted. 1 Israeli woman died after falling while running to a shelter near Ashdod, raising the Israeli death toll to 8. Israel said it had sent 9,000 troops to the vicinity of Gaza (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, HA, PCHR, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/13; AP, HA, PCHR, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA 5/14; GDN 5/15; TOI 5/16; PCHR 5/20; MEE 5/21; NYT 5/26)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with French president Emmanuel Macron about the escalation of violence in Gaza and eviction of Palestinians in Shaykh Jarrah. (WAFA 5/13)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz ordered 10 reserve border police companies to cities in Israel where violence has been rising. Several Israeli media outlets also reported that Israeli military officials were preparing to approve plans for a ground invasion of Gaza. Defense Minister Gantz also spoke with senior executives of social media companies Facebook and TikTok to convince them to prevent content critical of Israel on their platforms. (HA, JP, TOI 5/13; AS 5/14)

U.S. president Joe Biden said that he did not believe that the Israeli bombardment of Gaza is a “significant overreaction.” The Biden administration also rejected a publicly held UN security council (UNSC) meeting on 5/14 discussing the situation in Israel and Palestine. The U.S. has prevented any statements from the UN security council on the matter from 2 other UNSC meetings held in the past week. The Biden administration also notified Congress that it will be sending $10 million to Palestinian groups in the West Bank and Gaza to support exchange and reconciliation projects with Israelis. (HA, HA, REU 5/13; AP 5/14)

As pro-Palestine demonstrations were happening in many countries all over the world, the French interior ministry asked the French police to ban a pro-Palestine protest in Paris. (AJ 5/13)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF opens fire on Palestinian fishermen nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts night patrols in 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm. 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, except in Bil‘in (3 wounded by live ammunition) and Kafr Qaddum (2 struck by tear gas canisters). (PCHR 8/29)

In the Gaza Strip, hundreds of Palestinians march in protest of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks; the demonstration was organized by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. (AFP 8/23)

The IDF conducts an air strike against a base of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) s. of Beirut, in response to the rocket launch the previous day—despite that attack being claimed by and attributed to another group entirely. A Lebanese security source claims that the site is also used by Islamist militants. The air raid causes no casualties or serious damage. Lebanese pres. Michel Suleiman condemns the Israeli strike and orders his diplomats to file a complaint about the attack with the UNSC. Israeli DM Moshe Ya’alon says that the Israeli govt. holds their Lebanese counterparts responsible for the rocket fire emanating from its territory. Outside of 2 Sunni mosques, twin bombs kill at least 42 people in Tripoli; no one claims responsibility for the attack. (AFP, AP, DS, HA, JP, REU, WP 8/23)

UN Secy.-Gen. Ban Ki-moon repeats his desire for both Syrian govt. and rebel forces to permit an inspectors team to investigate the site of an alleged chemical weapons attack. Meanwhile, the British govt. adds its voice to those ascribing responsibility for the attack to govt. forces. Moscow publishes a statement calling for an independent investigation and saying that FM Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry had spoken about the situation and that both parties had a “mutual interest” in calling for a UN investigation. In an interview on CNN, U.S. pres. Barack Obama plays down the possibility of a rapid military intervention by the U.S. in Syria, saying how important a legal mandate from the UN and international coalition of support would be. (Guardian, REU 22/8)

Protests take place across Egypt by Muslim Brotherhood supporters and other opponents of the coup, though rallies were small and scattered. One person is killed by security forces in the Nile Delta town of Tanta, with official Health Ministry reports saying 54 people are wounded in Cairo and 2 Delta provinces. Meanwhile, speaking on CNN, U.S. pres. Barack Obama says that cutting off aid to Egypt “may not reverse what the interim govt. does.” (AP, REU 8/23)

Palestinian prisoner and administrative detainee Samer al-Issawi agrees to end his hunger strike—which has lasted for more than 8 months and inspired widespread Palestinian protest in solidarity—in exchange for an early release. At one such rally today, IDF soldiers clash with residents in Abu Dis, East Jerusalem, shooting and injuring 1. In the West Bank, Jewish settlers destroy hundreds of almond and olive trees in Bayt Dajan nr. Nablus, while in Dayr Jarir nr. Ramallah, settlers attack Palestinian property and set fire to 10 vehicles. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin and 1 village nr. Tulkarm in the morning, and in 1 village nr. Hebron, 2 villages nr. Jericho, 3 villages nr. Jenin, 1 village nr. Qalqilya, 1 village nr. Salfit and 1 village nr. Tulkarm at night. IDF soldiers conduct house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Jenin and in 1 village nr. Jericho at night. The IDF conduct a ground incursion close to the border nr. Bayt Hanun and level land. (REU, WAFA 4/22; MNA 4/23; PCHR 4/25)

An Israeli delegation meets their Turkish counterparts in Ankara to discuss ways of improving bilateral relations, including the question of financial compensation by Israel to the families of Turkish activists killed on the Mavi Marmara in 2010. (JP 4/21)

Al-Ahram cites Palestinian government sources claiming that Palestinian pres. Mahmud Abbas has asked Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey play a more prominent role in the drive for national reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas. (HA 4/22)

U.S. Defense Secy. Chuck Hagel announces an arms deal with Israel at a press conference in Tel Aviv alongside Israeli DM Moshe Ya’alon. The sale includes V-22 Osprey helicopter-plane aircraft, refueling tankers, advanced radars for fighter jets, and advanced missiles that target air defenses. During their remarks, Ya’alon tacitly confirms that Israel was responsible for a 1/30 air strike on an army convoy in Syria, saying that Israel has already acted to stop weapons falling into Hizballah’s hands: ‘‘When they crossed this red line, we acted.’’ (AFP, JP 4/22)

Overnight, Israel makes an air strike on Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian preparing to fire a rocket into Israel. Between dawn and mid-morning, Islamic Jihad fires 3 manufactured Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage and slightly injuring 1 Israeli. Later, unidentified Palestinians fire 7 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, some of which allegedly contain white phosphorous, causing no damage or injuries. Late in the evening, the IDF carries out several air strikes on training sites, rocket launching sites, and smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border, causing no reported injuries. In the afternoon, suspected Palestinian assailants leave a bomb nr. Jerusalem’s central bus station and convention center that detonates, killing 1 British woman, injuring 38 Israelis; the PA immediately condemns the incident; no group claims responsibility. In the West Bank, the IDF blocks a funeral procession fr. using a main road in Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron, sparking a clash in which 2 Palestinian mourners are wounded by live ammunition and 4 are arrested. Hours later, the IDF sends undercover units into Bayt Umar to raid and search a gas station, beating the owners and confiscating a computer. Several hours after that, the IDF returns to block the main entrance of the village with cement blocks and sand barriers. The IDF also patrols in Jericho (photographing the Intercontinental Hotel) and 3 villages nr. Ramallah; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and in Tulkarm. (AFP, HA, IFM, IsRN, JTA, MNA, REU, YA 3/23; IsRN, JP, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 3/24; NYT, WT 3/25; PCHR 3/31; JPI, OCHA 4/1)

In Syria, security forces make a predawn assault on the main mosque in Dara‘a, where antigovernment protesters have taken refuge, killing 15. Clashes last throughout the day and spread to 4 nearby villages. Over the succeeding days, clashes spread to towns and villages across the nation, becoming nr. daily events but remaining relatively small (in the 1,000s) and uncoordinated. Hot spots include Baniyas, Hama, Homs, Idlib, Latakia (which was reported to be “near anarchy”), and the Kurdish zone. (Only a few protests are reported in Damascus.) Govt. forces routinely dispersed the rallies, violently killing around 100 nationwide by 4/4. Meanwhile, Syrian activists mobilize through online social networking sites to call for mass protests every Friday until the regime falls. (NYT, SANA 3/23; NYT, WP, WT 3/24; NYT, WP 3/26–28; NYT, WP, WT 3/29; NYT, WP 3/30; NYT, WP 3/31, 4/1; NYT 4/2, 4/3; NYT, WP 4/4; WT 4/5; NYT, WP 4/6; NYT 4/7; NYT, WP 4/8; WP 4/9; NYT, WP 4/9, 4/10)

Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Israel responds with at least 3 air strikes on Hamas training sites in Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, and Khan Yunis, causing collateral damage to 6 homes but no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts patrols in Jericho and 3 villages nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Nabi Salih, arresting an organizer of the weekly demonstrations against the separation wall. Palestinians and international activists demonstrate against construction of settlements and the separation wall at the Qalandia crossing and in Bayt Umar. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 4 Palestinians (including 2 journalists) and 1 international activist. Jewish settlers fr. Taffuh settlement s. of Nablus attempt to seize Palestinian agricultural lands e. of Salfit but are removed by the IDF. Jewish settlers fr. Karnei Shomron settlement nr. Qalqilya stone Palestinian vehicles. (AFP 3/5; IsRN 3/6; PCHR 3/10; OCHA 3/18)

The PA sets 7/9/2011 as the start date for municipal elections in the West Bank. (WT 2/9)

In the morning, unidentified Palestinians fire 2 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage but no injuries. In the afternoon, Islamic Jihad mbrs. fire 2 more mortars into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Late in the evening, the IDF retaliates with an air strike, destroying an abandoned plastics factory in Gaza City (an alleged weapons manufacturing facility), also damaging a nearby PA Health Min. warehouse used for storing medicine, a textile factory, and a school and lightly injuring 11 Palestinian civilians (including 4 children). An hr. later, the IDF makes 2 air strikes on an Islamic Jihad training site in Khan Yunis (injuring 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs.) and a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border (no injuries). Also during the day, the IDF makes a brief incursion into s. Gaza e. of Shuka village to level lands and clear lines of sight, firing on nearby residential areas to keep Palestinians indoors, causing no injuries. UNRWA reports that it has resumed 3 stalled construction projects in Gaza after Israel allowed in 2 large shipments of construction aggregates (see 2/1). In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in 1 village nr. Tulkarm; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Tubas, in Nablus, and nr. Hebron. (YA 2/9; PCHR 2/10; OCHA 2/11)

Egyptian demonstrators hold the largest rally in Tahrir Square to date and surround the parliament building, rejecting government proposals for an extended transition and demanding Mubarak’s immediate removal and dissolution of parliament. Huge demonstrations are also held in Alexandria, Suez, and other cities. Egyptian labor unions begin a nationwide general strike to observe a “Week of Steadfastness” with demonstrators. Since 2/4, Mubarak has released some activists arrested since 1/25, allowed government contact with the Muslim Brotherhood for the first time, agreed in principle to lift emergency regulations and allow a free press, formed a legal panel (all Mubarak loyalists) to explore constitutional changes demanded by protesters, announced 15% raises for civil servants and pensioners, and vowed to open corruption investigations of senior government and NDP party officials. Some opposition figures note (e.g., WP 2/7) that some of these steps were significant and might have been enough to appease protesters 2 wks. ago, but that the mood has shifted significantly since then and these steps are now seen as far too little. Another round of massive demonstrations in Tahrir Square is called for Friday 2/10. In the interim, labor strikes and demonstrations grow and spread nationwide. (NYT, WP, WT 2/8; NYT, WP, WT 2/9; NYT, WP, WT 2/10; see also NYT, WP 2/6; NYT, WP, WT 2/7)

In retaliation for rocket fire on 1/31, the IDF makes an air strike on a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF arrests 3 Palestinian children (ages 13–16) for straying nr. the separation wall in Bil‘in; makes a late-night raid on a Palestinian home in al-Khadir nr. Bethlehem looking for a 12- yr.-old boy who threw stones at troops earlier in the day, assaulting a boy in the house and knocking him unconscious (he is taken by ambulance to a hospital for evaluation), roughly searching rooms, and allegedly stealing gold; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah. (AFP, YA 2/2; PCHR 2/3, 2/10; OCHA 2/11)

In Ramallah, the PA, which had banned anti-Mubarak protests in the West Bank, organizes 100s of Fatah mbrs. into proMubarak demonstrations, with the PAcontrolled media denouncing Egyptian opposition figure El-Baradei as a war criminal and CIA agent, calling him responsible for the war on Iraq. Later in the day, some 150 Palestinians in Ramallah organize a counterdemonstration in solidarity with the Egyptian people but are beaten and dispersed by PA riot police, who arrest 2 journalists and a human rights worker monitoring the rally. To date, the PFLP is the only Palestinian faction to come out in support of the Egyptian demonstrators. (JP 2/2; Human Rights Watch press release, NYT, WP, WT 2/3; NYT 2/4; WP 2/7) 

Yemen’s pres. Saleh pledges he will not run again when his term ends in 2013 or appoint his son to succeed him. In the past 10 days, he has also promised to lift the state of emergency imposed since 1992, raised the salaries of soldiers and civil servants, pledged to hire more college graduates, cut income taxes, imposed price controls, extended welfare payments to an additional 500,000 Yemenis, waived college tuition fees for students for the current year, and promised to reopen voter registration to enable some 1.5 m. Yemenis to register to vote. Today, Obama issues a statement welcoming Saleh’s reform steps. The opposition remains dubious, with many saying Saleh must step down immediately. Hereafter, protests shrink in size (from the 1,000s to the 100s) but increase in frequency, becoming near daily events in Sana’a and Aden through the end of the quarter. (NYT, WP 2/3; NYT 2/4)

The IDF shells a rocket-launching site in Gaza City and makes an air strike on a 2d rocket-launching site nr. Bayt Lahiya, killing 3 Islamic Jihad mbrs., wounding at least 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. and 2 civilians; bulldozes land along the border fence e. of al-Maghazi r.c. Palestinians fire 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, nr. Qalqilya. Overnight, in Jerusalem, Israeli authorities hand the body of the 3/6 Mercaz Harav attacker over to his family in Jabal Mukabir for a predawn burial, hoping to prevent clashes surrounding his burial. When news breaks, however, 10s of right-wing Jewish settlers storm Jabal Mukabir, evading police barricades, clashing with riot police, throwing stones at Palestinian homes on the rim of the neighborhood. Nearby, 100s of right-wing Jewish settlers hold a protest rally demanding the expulsion of Palestinian citizens of Israel, scuffle with police. In total, 20 protesters are arrested; 1 protester, 1 policeman are injured. (WT 3/16; OCHA, PCHR 3/19)

Egyptian border and riot police in armored vehicles make a brief attempt to herd Palestinians back across the Rafah border into Gaza, firing into the air and using batons, water cannon, tear gas, dogs. They are overwhelmed by the estimated 120,000 Palestinians (many of whom throw stones, injuring 38 policemen), eventually retreating, allowing the crossings to continue. Hamas mbrs. use bulldozers to make at least 1 new opening in the Rafah border fence. Meanwhile, the IDF makes an air strike on a car in Rafah, assassinating Hamas’s local cmdr. Muhammad Harb (reportedly in charge of breaching the Rafah border) and Hamas mbr. Sami al-Hamada, seriously wounding a 3d Hamas mbr. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Umar, clashing with armed Palestinians, killing 1 Palestinian gunman; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 7; arresting 4, including an American). A Jewish settler injures 2 Palestinian men in a deliberate hit-and-run nr. Hebron. Unidentified assailants detonate a bomb outside police headquarters in Gaza City, causing no injuries. (NYT, WP, WT 1/26; OCHA 1/30; PCHR 1/31)

The IDF bars all imports into Gaza, including fuel, food, medicine; makes an air strike destroying the empty PA Interior Min. building in Gaza City (heavily damaged in a 7/06 air strike), killing 1 Palestinian bystander, wounding 46 (including 3 women, 19 children playing soccer nearby); makes a 2d air strike targeting an alleged rocketlaunching squad in Jabaliya r.c., killing 2 Hamas mbrs., wounding 3 bystanders; makes a 3d air strike destroying a Hamasaffiliated security facility in central Gaza; sends troops, bulldozers into Khuza to level lands, firing on residential areas, wounding a 9-yr.-old Palestinian boy; makes a late-night incursion into areas nr. Jabaliya r.c., raiding 2 Palestinian homes, making 2 air strikes on armed Palestinians who confront them, killing 2 Hamas mbrs., wounding 2 bystanders, arresting 8 Palestinians, demolishing 1 Palestinian home, damaging 3 others, bulldozing 4 d. of olive trees. Palestinian factions, including Hamas, fire 31 rockets fr. Gaza toward Israel; 16 land inside Israel, causing damage but no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Tulkarm; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 3). A Hamas mbr. wounded in an 1/17 IDF air strike on Gaza City dies. (NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 1/19; NYT 1/20; OCHA 1/23; PCHR 1/24)

A Hamas mbr. dies nr. the Gaza border n. of Bayt Hanun when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem; shoots, wounds a Palestinian farmer working his land nr. the separation wall s. of Hebron; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 4) and Ma‘sara (injuring 2). Jewish settlers vandalize Palestinian homes, cars in Burkin nr. Salfit; the IDF disperses them. In Gaza City, the Hamas-affiliated security forces detain without charge Omar al-Ghul, a senior associate of PA PM Salam Fayyad, prominent journalist, and frequent critic of Hamas; Abbas denounces the “kidnapping.” Also in Gaza City, 3 Fatah supporters are killed, 35 are wounded by an explosion during a funeral for an AMB mbr. killed in an IDF air strike on 12/13; police say a Fatah mbr. accidentally discharged a hand grenade; Abbas accuses Hamas of causing the explosion, calling it an “assault against all our people.” In Khan Yunis, Fatah mbrs. stone a Hamas vehicle promoting a 20th anniversary rally in Gaza City, sparking a fight, gunfire by the police that leaves 17 injured. (NYT, WP, WT 12/15; OCHA 12/19; PCHR 12/27)

The IDF makes an air strike on a car carrying Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Gaza City, missing the target, damaging a house and lightly injuring 1 bystander. Egyptian border police demolish a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border. A Palestinian is injured when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international activists taking part in the weekly nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring several) and a similar protest at alWalaja (causing no reported injuries). Palestinian gunmen fire on a Jewish settler’s vehicle nr. Karnei Shomron settlement nr. Qalqilya, injuring 2 settlers. Having sealed the West Bank border for Rosh Hashanah (see 9/12), the IDF allows only Palestinian men over age 60 to enter Jerusalem fr. the West Bank to attend prayers marking the 1st Friday of Ramadan. (OCHA 9/19; PCHR 9/20)