The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Israeli activists from Rabbis for Human Rights working with Palestinians in Burin to plant trees; 7 were injured by the settlers with clubs and other improvised weapons and 1 car was set on fire. Rabbis for Human rights posted a video of the incident on Twitter. Israeli settlers also fenced off 4 dunams (1 acre) of Palestinian land in Kafr ad-Dik and planted it with trees. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers vandalized some 300 olive tree saplings in Deir Sharaf. Israeli settlers also vandalized 90 olive trees and olive saplings in Yasuf and Bidya. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers assaulted 1 Palestinian man and attempted to set his car on fire in Deir Istiya. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, inuring 6 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Beita, injuring 9 with rubber-coated bullets and 52 with tear gas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Dajan, injuring 17 with tear gas. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian man in Sinjil, detaining him before allowing Palestinians to take him to a hospital in Ramallah. Meanwhile, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian protesters in Hebron, injuring 1 with a rubber-coated bullet and others with tear gas. 6 Palestinians were arrested, including 2 during late-night raids in Sinjil and Jannatah and 4 during a house raid in Zeita. PA forces arrested 3 members of Islamic Jihad during a raid in Beita, including Abdul Raouf al-Jaghoub, a local Islamic Jihad leader. Hamas and Islamic Jihad slammed the PA for the arrests. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers led by deputy mayor of Jerusalem Aryeh King assaulted 1 Palestinian and set up barbed wire around a plot of land belonging to the Salem family, who are threatened by eviction in Sheikh Jarrah; Israeli forces also confiscated Palestinian flags from protesters. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire and fired tear gas at Palestinian farmers east of Dayr al-Balah, Abasan, and al-Qarara; no injuries were reported. (HA, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/21; MEMO 1/22; ALM 1/25; PCHR 1/27)

Israel’s public security minister Omer Bar-Lev called the incident where activists from Rabbis for Human Rights were attacked by Israeli settlers near Burin “actions of a terror organization.” Public Security Minister Bar-Lev further stated that it is difficult to apprehend the attackers. No arrests were made as of 1/22. (HA, MEMO 1/23)

The Qatari foreign ministry said it had signed a deal to cover the cost of supplying Gaza’s power plant with gas through an escrow account. (HA 1/21; ALM, MEMO 1/22)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers blocked the main entrance to al-Naqura. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian man, alleging that he had tried to stab a soldier at the Gush Etzion Junction between Bethlehem and Hebron. The PA called it an extrajudicial execution. 9 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Kobar, Kafr Ni‘ma, Ni‘lin, Beita, Izbat al-Tabib, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces evicted the 18-member Salhiya family from their home in Sheikh Jarrah, leading to a standoff where members of the family threatened to blow up a gas container on top of the house if the Israeli forces proceeded to demolish their home. A large crowd protested in support of the family. Several European representatives to Palestine and Israel, with some present at the scene, also condemned the eviction and called on Israel to stop it immediately. 1 Palestinian demolished his own commercial structure in Sheikh Jarrah. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Gaza; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled land north of Beit Lahiya. Israeli forces also opened fire at agricultural lands east of al-Qarara; no injuries were reported. (+972, AJ, AJ, F24, HA, HA, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, REU, Twitter, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WP 1/17; EI, MEMO, MEMO 1/18; MEMO 1/19; PCHR 1/20)

Palestinian news outlet Safa and Israeli Channel 12 reported that the PA had frozen its work on preparing material for the ICC as a result of agreements made between PA president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz. (MEMO 1/18)

Israeli media reported that Libyan warlord and presidential contender Khalifa Haftar’s plane landed at Ben Gurion airport for a couple of hours before taking off again. In November it was reported that Haftar’s son and advisor Saddam Haftar had visited Israel for meetings with Israeli officials. (MEMO 1/17)

A possible drone attack in the UAE killed 3 Indian and Pakistani nationals and wounded 6 others at an oil facility and started a fire at the airport in Abu Dhabi. The Yemeni Houthi group said it was behind the attack. In a letter by Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, Israel offered the UAE “security and intelligence support” after the attack, saying “Israel stands with the UAE.” The UAE has been conducting air strikes with its coalition partner Saudi Arabia for years in Houthi-held areas of Yemen, causing many civilian deaths. (AJ, HA, MEMO 1/17; AJ, AJ, ALM, HA, MEMO, REU, REU 1/18; AJ, AP, MEMO 1/19; HA 1/20)

In the West Bank, 25 Israeli settlers posing as soldiers attacked a Palestinian couple in their home in Qaryut, leading to the hospitalization of both Palestinian victims; the settlers also caused significant damage to the interior of their home, their car, and their tractor; Israeli forces did not arrive to investigate the scene until 7 hours after it was reported. Israeli settlers also threw stones at 6 Palestinian homes and set a barn on fire in Burqa; Israeli forces subsequently violently dispersed Palestinians trying to repel the settlers. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers erected a settlement outpost named after the settler killed on 12/16, Nefei Yehuda, near the Kiryat Arba settlement; the Nahala movement financially supported the settlement outpost, as it had the Evyatar settlement outpost in May. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians in Hebron, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Beita, injuring 5 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Dajan, injuring 5 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 2 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. Meanwhile, Israeli forces seized 1 tractor in Masafer Yatta. 5 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Arrabah, Silat ad-Dhahr, Jenin, and Burqa; Israeli forces seized 1 car during the raid in Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Sheikh Jarrah, injuring several journalists covering the event by physical assault, including 1 AP journalist; AP condemned the Israeli forces’ attack on its employee. 5 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in the Old City. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian agricultural lands east of Khuza‘a, Dayr al-Balah, and al-Qarara; no injuries were reported. (AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, JP, MEE, MEE, MEMO, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/17; MEMO 12/18; JP, WAFA 12/19; PCHR 12/23)

PA foreign ministry called on the UN to establish a protective system to ensure the safety of Palestinians as Israeli settler violence continues to increase. (WAFA, WAFA 12/17; MEMO 12/18)

Haaretz reported that the Israeli company Candiru’s spyware had been purchased by Saudi Arabia, Spain, Israel (for the Shin Bet), Singapore, the UAE, and Germany, and had been used to target people in Catalonia, Lebanon, Yemen, the occupied Palestinian territories, Singapore, Iran, Armenia, and Turkey. It was also reported by the Guardian that NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware was found on jailed Indian dissident activist Rona Wilson’s phone. (AP, GDN, HA, HA 12/17)

The UN general assembly voted 156 for, 7 against, and 15 abstaining on a draft resolution confirming the rights of Palestinians over their natural resources in the occupied territories and the rights of the native population of their resources in the occupied Golan Heights. The resolution also called on Israel to stop exploiting the resources of the territories it occupies. The 7 countries voting against the resolution were Israel, Canada, the U.S., the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, and Palau. (WAFA, WAFA 12/17; WAFA 12/18)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers opened a settlers-only road near Kisan. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian man near the separation barrier west of Jenin; the man was treated at a hospital in Israel for his injuries. Israeli forces also fired tear gas at a wedding celebration in Silat al-Harithiya, causing tear-gas related injuries. Palestinians protested in Ramallah against the killing of PA critic Nizar Banat by PA forces on 6/24. 11 Palestinians were arrested by Israeli forces during raids in and around al-Yamun, Qiffin, Beita, Ni‘lin, Abu Dis, and Jaba‘. In East Jerusalem, 1 Israeli settler shot 1 Palestinian man in the leg in Sheikh Jarrah; Israeli police said the Palestinian man had entered the settler’s home, while Palestinian media said the man was part of a solidarity event for the residents of Sheikh Jarrah threatened by forced eviction. 5 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Sheikh Jarrah and Shu‘fat. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian farmers in al-Zaytun; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces also made incursions and leveled land east of al-Qarara. (MEE, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/2; AA, MEMO 8/3; PCHR 8/5)

The Israeli supreme court proposed that Palestinian residents under threat of eviction in Sheikh Jarrah become “protected residents” in what it considered a compromise. The proposition would allow the Palestinians to live in their homes in return for paying a rent fee to the settler organization, Nahalat Shimon, which claims to have acquired their property. The Palestinians agreed to the proposal but refused to accept the Nahalat Shimon’s demand that the families recognize its ownership of their properties, resulting in a stalemate. The court did not set a new date for the next hearing. Haaretz reported that Israeli officials had asked the Biden administration to put pressure on the Palestinian residents to agree to the compromise. The Jordanian government submitted documents to the court from before the 1967Day War, showing that the Jordanian government was in the process of registering the properties to their Palestinian residents, which was disrupted by the Israeli assault on its neighboring countries. U.S. state department spokesperson Ned Price later said that the U.S. is opposed to the plans to evict Palestinians from East Jerusalem, but that proposal from the supreme court is for the parties involved to consider. (HA 8/1; AJ, AJ, ALM, HA, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, REU, WAFA, WAFA 8/2; MEMO, WAFA 8/3; HA 8/4; AA, MEMO 8/5; MEMO 8/6; WAFA 8/14)

Israel extended the ban of PA governor of Jerusalem Adnan Ghaith from moving freely within East Jerusalem. It was unclear how long the extension was set for. (WAFA 8/2)

The PA said that it and Qatar had agreed to a mechanism to transfer Qatari funds to Gaza. More than 100,000 Palestinians in Gaza will receive ATM cards with around $100, which can be withdrawn in Gaza. Hamas had previously agreed to have the PA supervise the transfer of the Qatari funds. It is unclear when the aid will reach Palestinians in Gaza. (MEMO 8/4)

Israel’s cabinet approved its 1st budget in 3 years; the Knesset will still have to approve it before it is implemented. A vote is expected to occur in November. Ra’am’s demands for a significant increase in spending for Palestinian Israeli communities was approved with $16 billion earmarked for advances, as opposed to the previous $5 billion under the Netanyahu government. The money is said to be spent on infrastructure, combatting crime, health care, education, and transportation. (MEMO 8/1; ALM, AX, JP 8/2; ALM 8/3)

Canada contributed $1.7 million to the UN World Food Programme to help its programming in Gaza. (WAFA 8/2)