The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces raided Zeita, leading to the evacuation of students from an elementary school. Israeli forces also summoned the father and brother of 1 of the Palestinian prisoners who escaped from an Israeli prison (see below). 10 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around al-Am‘ari refugee camp, Surda, Ramallah, Jalazun refugee camp, Fahma, and Jaba‘. (WAFA 9/6; MEMO 9/7; PCHR 9/9)

6 Palestinian prisoners, including the former al-Aqsa Martyr Brigade leader Zakaria Zubeidi, escaped Gilboa prison in Northern Israel near the West Bank, using a tunnel dug over a period of at least 10 months. All other prisoners in the Gilboa Prison were relocated to other prisons as Israeli authorities investigated the flaws in the prison structure that facilitated the escape. The Israeli prison service also restricted yard exercise time from 4 hours to 1 hour a day as a collective punishment. (AJ, AP, AX, FOX, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, JP, LAT, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, NYT, TOI, TOI, WAFA 9/6; AJ, HA, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, WAFA 9/7; AX, MEMO, MEMO 9/8; ALM, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEMO 9/9; HA 9/10; HA, HA 9/12; HA 9/14)

All crossings between the West Bank and Gaza to Israel were closed for the Israeli Rosh Hashanah holiday from 4 P.M. 9/6 to midnight between 9/8 and 9/9. Israel also prevented Palestinians from praying at al-Ibrahimi Mosque during the period. (HA 9/5; WAFA 9/7)

The Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza said in a press statement that it had suspended the Gaza fence protests until the middle of September to allow Egyptian and Qatari mediators to facilitate an end to the Israeli siege of Gaza. (ALM 9/10)

Qatar’s ambassador to Gaza Mohammed al-Emadi said Qatar, the UN, the PA, and Israel had agreed to a deal that would allow Qatari aid to enter Gaza. Israel did not comment on the announcement and it was unclear when the deal would be implemented. (AJ, HA, MEMO, REU 9/6)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke to Israel’s president Isaac Herzog and defense minister Benny Gantz, congratulating them on the Jewish new year. (WAFA 9/6; JP, MEMO 9/7)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolished 1 house in Harmala, 1 house in Bayt Ta‘mar, and 3 agricultural structures in Duma. 4 Palestinian children were arrested during late-night raids in Bethlehem. 11 others were arrested, including 9 during raids in and around Bayt Rima, Kobar, Jenin, Jaba‘, Bethlehem, Bayt Jala, Halhul, and Dura, and 2 were arrested at checkpoints in Bethlehem and Ya‘bad. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided the Muslim Girls Secondary School in Wadi al-Juz and arrested 2 employees, including the principal of the school. In Gaza, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters east of Rafah, injuring 1 with a rubber-coated bullet and others with tear gas. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/1; MEE, MEMO, PCHR, WAFA 9/2)

Israel said it would expand the Gaza fishing zone to 15 nautical miles at its largest, increase the number of merchant permits for Palestinians in Gaza from 5,000 to 7,000, and provide 175 million cubic feet of fresh water. (HA 8/31; ALM, ALM, AP, MEE, MEMO 9/1)

1 Palestinian prisoner in administrative detention ended his 33-day hunger strike after the Israeli prison service promised not to extend his detention beyond 2/14/2022. (WAFA 9/1)

Israel’s foreign minister Yair Lapid said that reopening the U.S. consulate to Palestinians in Jerusalem is a “bad idea,” saying it would weaken the Israeli government coalition and send the “wrong message.” Israeli and U.S. government sources have told Haaretz that the U.S. is moving slowly on reopening the consulate because of the potential ramifications it could have on Israel’s government coalition. Foreign Minister Lapid also criticized the way the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan. The spokesperson of Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett also denied reports that Bennett and PA president Mahmoud Abbas would meet. (AJ, ALM, GDN, HA, HA, MEE, REU 9/1; MEMO 9/2; ALM 9/7)

Haaretz reported that Israel’s public security minister Omer Bar-Lev had ordered the Israeli police to stop its policy of confiscating Palestinian flags during protests except in exceptional circumstances. (HA 9/1)

The U.S. Central Command announced that it had taken over the responsibilities of Israel from the U.S. European Command. The move, welcomed by Israel, was seen as an effort to strengthen the normalization deals between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain as it allows for easier coordination of military exercises arranged by the U.S. (JINSA 9/2; Defense News, Defense News 9/7)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian succumbed to injuries inflicted by Israeli forces on 8/3 in Jenin. Israeli forces demolished 1 poultry farm in al-Walaja, 1 rainwater collection well in Khallet al-Dabe’, 1 car wash in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, and 1 agricultural structure in al-Fakhit. Israeli forces also handed an evacuation order to Palestinians near Tuqu’ for their livestock, forcing them to remove their livestock and dismantle their agricultural structures within 14 days. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting Israeli construction at al-Ibrahimi Mosque, leading to tear-gas related injuries; 3 were arrested. 9 other Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Jaba‘, Huwwara, and Yatta. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces summoned 2 Palestinian activists for questioning after they protested the arrest of a local activist in Sheikh Jarrah on 8/10. In Israel, Israeli authorities said they shot down a drone entering the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Lebanon, claiming the drone was operated by Hezbollah. Israel also said it had shot down a drone flying from Gaza into Israel, claiming it was operated by Hamas. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/11; HA, PCHR, REU 8/12; HA, MEMO 8/13)

The Israeli government gave its initial approval for the construction of more than 2,000 new settlement units in the West Bank and 863 housing units for Palestinian villages in Area C, including 150 units in Ma‘asara, 270 in Bir al-Basha, 223 in al-Masqufa, 160 in Khirbet ‘Aaba, and 50 in Khirbet Zakariya. Of the advanced settlement expansion plans, 908 are expected to get final approval next week, including 58 in Beit El, 285 in Har Brakha, and 105 in Alon Shvut. An Israeli official told Haaretz that the move was a “calculated risk” made by the government vis-à-vis the U.S. Biden administration. The Meretz party wrote a letter to Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz, calling the decision to expand Israeli settlements “a dangerous move.” The U.S. later criticized Israel’s decision to expand Israeli settlements, on 8/13, saying that settlement activity is an obstacle to a 2-state solution. (AA, AX, HA, REU 8/11; MEMO, WAFA, WAFA 8/12; HA, MEMO 8/13; JP 8/16)

IDF chief of staff Aviv Kochavi said the Israeli army will take harsher measures against Israeli soldiers who do not follow regulations, in response to the killing of 40 Palestinians by Israeli forces in the West Bank since May. The statement came after Chief of Staff Kochavi met with senior staff of the Israeli central command on 8/8 and urged them to take steps to reduce lethal shootings. Kochavi said the military will back soldiers who make mistakes in their judgements in relation to lethal shootings, but not if the soldiers act reckless. (HA 8/12)

Israel’s police commissioner Kobi Shabtai inaugurated a new police department focused on combatting crime in Palestinian Israeli communities, which seeks to increase the number of Palestinian Israeli police officers by 300%. 69 Palestinian citizens of Israel have been killed in Israel since 2021 and only 23% of the cases have been solved, whereas 71% of the cases involving Jewish Israelis have been solved by Israeli police. (HA 8/12)

Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid visited Morocco to meet with his Moroccan counterpart and open the new Israeli mission to Morocco as part of the 2 countries’ normalization deal. The 2 foreign ministers signed cooperation agreements related to air travel, culture, sports, and youth. Foreign Minister Lapid said the 2 countries would open mutual embassies within 2 months. The leader of the PJD party in Morocco condemned the decision to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel. Part of the 2 countries’ normalization deal was for the U.S. to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara during the Trump administration, a controversial recognition that the Biden administration has not reversed. (MEMO 8/10; AJ, AJ, AX, HA, MEMO, REU 8/11; AJ, ALM, AX, HA, HA, MEMO, REU 8/12; ALM 8/13; MEE 8/16)

U.S. CIA director William J. Burns met with Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennet and other Israeli officials during a trip to Israel. Director Burns is expected to meet with PA president Mahmoud Abbas and other senior PA officials on 8/12. Axios reported that Director Burns voiced concern to Prime Minister Bennett about Chinese investment in Israel. (AX 8/9; HA, MEMO 8/10; ALM, HA, MEMO, MEMO, REU 8/11; AX, HA, HA 8/12; AX 8/18; MEE, MEMO, TOI 8/19)

The private equity firm KKR announced that it will be funding a server farm in Israel to be completed in the 2d quarter of 2023. The server farm will be located underground in Petah Tikva. (HA 8/11)

Palestinian Israeli NGO Combatants for Peace asked the ICC to open an investigation into potential war crimes committed by Israel in demolishing the bedouin village Khirbet Humsa on 7/7. (HA 8/11; MEMO 8/13)

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said its investigation into the events of the Israeli assault on Gaza in May, dubbed Operation Guardians of the Wall, had showed that Hamas’s rockets fired at Israel “violated the laws of war and amount to war crimes.” HRW also said that Hamas’s rockets had killed 12 civilians in Israel and a misfired rocket had killed 7 Palestinians in Gaza. HRW released its investigation into Israeli actions during the assault on 7/27, finding that Israel had also committed war crimes. (HA, HRW 8/12; ALM 8/23)

France donated $575,000 to the UN World Food Programme for its programming in Gaza. (WAFA 8/11)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted some 35 olive trees in Hebron. Israeli undercover forces assassinated 1 Palestinian in al-Bireh from close range before leaving him to bleed out. Israeli forces also delivered demolition notices for 3 industrial structures in Dayr Sharif. Elsewhere, Israeli forces delivered notices for land seizures to complete a 9.3-mile-long water pipeline to 2 Israeli settlements near Salfit. 12 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Biddu, Bayt Duqqu, al-Za’ayyem, Kafr Dan, Jaba‘, Nablus, Aqabat Jabir, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Palestinians protested Israeli-planned evictions of Palestinians in Batn al-Hawa in Silwan. 6 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in al-Tur and the Old City, including 1 man for gesturing his middle finger at Israeli police in the Old City. (AJ, MEE, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/25; HA, PCHR, WAFA 5/26; PCHR 5/27; AJ 5/30; HA 7/2; HA 7/4)

Israel reopened the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings for humanitarian aid and aid workers. The Kerem Shalom crossing remained closed for exports. Israel also allowed Gaza fishermen to fish up to 6 nautical miles from shore. (HA 5/24; HA, HA 5/25)

PA health minister Mai al-Kaila said the PA had received 103,000 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and that 46,800 of them would be sent to Gaza. 203,161 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are fully vaccinated. (WAFA 5/25)

Jordan summoned the Israeli ambassador to the country to complain about the detention of 2 Jordanian citizens in Israel and the lack of access for the Jordanian embassy to talk to them. (WAFA 5/25; MEE 6/1)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken landed in Tel Aviv for meetings with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi, and defense minister Benny Gantz. Later in the day, Secretary Blinken met with PA president Mahmoud Abbas and PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh in Ramallah, as well as Palestinian activists at the offices of AMIDEAST. At a press conference with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Blinken reiterated the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s “right to defend itself” and said that the U.S. will help rebuild Gaza while preventing Hamas from benefiting from any U.S. aid. Netanyahu said that Israel would have a “very powerful response” if Hamas breaks the ceasefire. During a meeting with President Abbas in Ramallah, Blinken announced that the U.S. would reopen the consulate general in West Jerusalem, servicing Palestinians. The Trump administration closed the consulate and merged it with the Israeli embassy after it was moved to Jerusalem. Blinken also said that the Biden administration is asking Congress to approve $75 million in aid to Gaza and another $30 million to UNRWA. (AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, AP, AX, AX, CBS, CNN, FOX, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WSJ 5/25; AP, MEMO, WAFA 5/26; AX 5/27)

Indirect talks between Iran and the U.S. through Germany, France, Britain, Russia, and China continued in Vienna to facilitate a reentry of the U.S. to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and for Iran to restart its compliance with the deal. (AP 5/25)

The government of Ireland recognized Israel’s settlement activity as de facto annexation of Palestinian lands. (RTE 5/25; MEE, WAFA 5/26)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian minor succumbed to wounds sustained from Israeli live ammunition on 5/18. Israeli settlers leveled land in Kisan. Israeli settlers also set up mobile homes south of Hebron. Israeli forces also raided Jaba‘, injuring 4, including 1 minor, when Palestinians confronted the forces. Israeli forces also raided ‘Araqa, injuring 1 minor with live ammunition, when Palestinians confronted the forces. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bethlehem, injuring 7 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Nablus, Jenin, and Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided al-Makassed Hospital, leaving without making arrests. 8 Palestinians were arrested during raids in the Old City, al-Tur, Silwan, and Shu‘fat. In Gaza, 4 Palestinians were killed and many were injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 232 to 236, including 65 children and 3 pregnant women. The casualties included: 1, and 9 wounded, including 3 children, during an air strike on a house in Khan Yunis; 1, and 1 wounded in an air strike on Bayt Lahiya; 2 in an air strike on a car traveling in Jabaliya. Israeli air strikes also hit power lines near Rafah, causing a total electricity blackout in the city. Israeli forces attacked 1 house in Khan Yunis, causing damage, but the missile remained unexploded as it landed on a bed, saving the family living in the house. 4 factories were also destroyed by Israeli air strikes in an industrial zone east in al-Muntar. In Israel, 1 Israeli soldier was injured by an anti-tank missile rocket fired from Gaza at a military bus. 1 rocket from Gaza hit a house in Ashkelon, causing damage; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces violently dispersed a funeral procession for 1 Palestinian-Israeli who was killed by Israeli police on 5/19 in Umm al-Fahm; 3 were arrested; a general strike was also called in Umm al-Fahm in protest over the killing. (AJ, HA, HA, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/20; MEE, PCHR 5/21; NYT 5/26; PCHR 5/27)

It was reported that a ceasefire between Hamas, Islamic Jihad in Palestine, and Israel had been brokered by Egypt and would take effect at 2 a.m. on 5/21. Prior to the reporting, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had called a meeting at the security cabinet. Shortly after the 2 sides announced the ceasefire, U.S. president Joe Biden praised Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for his role in the ceasefire and Prime Minister Netanyahu for agreeing to it. Biden said in remarks that “Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy,” in what can be viewed as a slight shift in the paradigm of U.S. statements on Israel and Palestine. President al-Sisi also praised President Biden for his work on the ceasefire agreement. Several prominent Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate welcomed the news of the ceasefire, but said it was time to do more to resolve the roots of the conflict. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki called for the world to address the core issues, saying that the ceasefire is not enough. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AP, AX, AX, GDN, HA, REU, REU, WAFA 5/20; AM, AP, CNN, FOX, HA, HA 5/21)

Haaretz reported that 90% of the Israeli citizens charged for the violence in Israeli towns and cities since the start of the Hamas-Israel escalation were Palestinian citizens of Israel. District prosecutors have been criticized for not indicting Jewish-Israelis. (HA 5/20)

Adalah filed a petition on behalf of Palestinians in Shayk Jarrah to have Israeli police remove checkpoints around the neighborhood, which are severely impeding the residents’ freedom of movement. The checkpoints are also meant to block entry of Palestinians who are not residents of the neighborhood, as many residents remain threatened by evictions. (Adalah, HA 5/20)

The Israeli Electric Company said it would not restore the damaged power lines in Gaza until 2 Israelis, believed to be held captive by Hamas, and the bodies of 2 dead Israelis are returned to Israel. (HA 5/20)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with German chancellor Angela Merkel about efforts to get a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. President Abbas also met with German foreign minister Heiko Maas in Ramallah. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 5/20)

Before the ceasefire was announced, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh wrote a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, asking for “mobilization of Arab, Islamic and international support” in ending Israeli air strikes. (AP 5/20)

Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani said that the country had reached an agreement in principle with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signatories about complying with and having the U.S. rejoin the deal. (HA 5/20)

U.S. senator and chair of the Senate budget committee Bernie Sanders (D-VT) said he would introduce a resolution of disapproval of a $735 million arms sale to Israel. (AJ, ALM, HA, REU 5/20)

At the UN, U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the U.S. had “not been silent,” despite blocking UN security council statements criticizing the violence from the latest escalation between Hamas and Israel. UN general-secretary António Guterres said he was “deeply shocked by the continued air and artillery bombardment” of Gaza and said that Gaza’s children lived in “hell on Earth.” No unified statement was released by the UN general assembly. (AJ, AJ, ALM, HA, REU 5/20)

1 Jewish AP reporter was fired after Stanford University College Republicans criticized her for pro-Palestinian activism while she was a student at the school, before she was hired at AP. Later, more than 100 AP journalists wrote an open letter to AP criticizing the decision. (SFGATE 5/20; FOX, MEE, MEMO 5/21; MEE 5/22; MEE 5/24)

The foreign minister of Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia visited Israel upon the invitation of Israeli foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi to be briefed on the Israeli-Hamas escalation. In meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the 3 foreign ministers were shown parts of a drone that had been shot down on 5/18 that Netanyahu claimed was Iranian. (ALM, HA 5/20)

In the West Bank, 2 Palestinian families were notified that Israel intend to seize 4 dunums of their land in Jaba‘ for construction of a parking lot for Israeli military vehicles. A Palestinian family from Ya‘bad accused Israeli soldiers of stealing money and jewelry from their house during a late-night raid. Israeli forces also demolished 2 Palestinian-owned water tanks near Tubas and seized a cement mixer near Salfit. 12 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Nablus, Jericho, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, 2 Palestinians were detained in al-Aqsa Mosque during prayers; both were released after 5 hours of interrogation and banned from entering the mosque for 2 weeks. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/3; PCHR 12/5)

During a visit by the Irish minister of foreign affairs Simon Coveney to Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, the ministry announced that Ireland was funding a $8.8 million project for construction of solar panels in Gaza in partnership with the French Development Agency. Foreign Affairs Minister Coveney met with PA prime minister Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah during his visit. (HA, WAFA 12/3)

In France, the French parliament passed a resolution to combat anti-Semitism that included anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel. The resolution adopted the language of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of anti-Semitism which equates some criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic. The resolution was passed despite a petition signed by 129 Jewish and Israeli scholars warning the French parliament about equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. (HA 9/4)

At the UN, 5 resolutions pertaining to Israel and Palestine passed in the General Assembly. 13 countries changed their vote, compared to previous years, on the resolution in support of the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat. The 13 countries that previously abstained on the yearly vote were Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Brazil, and Colombia. The vote on that resolution passed 83 to 23, with 54 abstentions. (TOI 12/4; HA 12/5)

In the West Bank, al-Ibrahimi Mosque was closed to Muslim worshipers due to Israeli restrictions during the Jewish Sukkot holidays. Israeli settlers with military escort toured Solomon’s Pool south of Bethlehem, closing the area for Palestinians. Elsewhere, near Nablus, Israeli settlers and military escort toured Joseph’s Tomb, leading to confrontations with Palestinians; 51 Palestinians were injured including 3 by live ammunition, 14 by rubber-coated bullets and others suffered tear-gas related injuries. 1 Palestinian was shot after allegedly ramming his car into an undercover Israeli officer’s car in al-Am‘ari refugee camp. Israeli forces violently dispersed a protest in Turmus ‘Ayya, injuring 2 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians trying to enter Israel for work near Jenin. 9 Palestinians were arrested, including 8 during raids in al-Am‘ari refugee camp, Jaba, ‘Azun, Anabta, and Bayt Awa; the Palestinian accused of ramming his car into the undercover Israeli officer’s car was also arrested. In East Jerusalem, hundreds of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians and Palestinian-owned property in Issawiyya; Israeli forces arrested 7 of the perpetrators. Some 400 Israeli settlers also toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire and used water hoses on Palestinian fishermen 3 nautical miles northwest of Gaza City, causing damage but no injuries were reported. (WAFA 10/15; HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/17; PCHR 10/24)

The PA blocked access to some 50 websites to crack down on opposition voices and critique of PA president Mahmoud Abbas. (HA 10/22; MDW 10/23)

In Lebanon, thousands of protesters demonstrated against the Lebanese government’s plans to raise a new tax for WhatsApp calls and for the country’s economic crisis. (AJ, AJ 10/18)

The U.S. and Turkey agreed to a 5-day ceasefire in northern Syria to allow Kurdish fighters to leave the area. (HA 10/17)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian fishermen nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no injuries or damage to vessels. In the West Bank, the IDF shoots and injures a Palestinian in Dahaysha r.c. in Bethlehem after troops entered the camp, provoking clashes. IDF troops also clash with residents in Jaba‘ village nr. Jenin during a patrol, with Palestinian youth throwing stones and soldiers responding with rubber-coated metal bullets. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Hebron at night, patrols in 1 village each nr. Jenin and Ramallah in the morning, 1 village nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 village nr. Jenin at night. (PCHR 8/29; WAFA 8/22)

Palestinian officials say that U.S. envoy Martin Indyk and his team have not attended any of the negotiating sessions thus far at the request of the Israelis. Both Yasir ‘Abid Rabbuh and Hanan Ashrawi claim that Israel intends for the lack of U.S. participation in the 3 meetings, since the resumption of talks to strengthen Israel’s power over the Palestinians. Meanwhile, Pres. Mahmud Abbas meets with a delegation from the Israeli party Meretz in Ramallah, telling them that signing a peace agreement will mean the “end of the conflict” and that a future Palestinian state would agree to be demilitarized. Abbas also tells the Israeli politicians that the Palestinian leadership is unhappy with the slow pace of negotiations. (HA, JP, ToI 8/22)

Suspected mbrs. of the al-Qa‘ida-linked Brigades of Abdullah Azzam fire 4 rockets from s. Lebanon into n. Israel, causing no damage or injuries (and with 1 intercepted by Iron Dome missile defense batteries). The IDF says it views the attack as an isolated incident, and attributes it to “global jihad” elements. On 8/27, the brigades appear to directly claim responsibility for the attack via a statement published on the Twitter account of a Salafist cleric known to be affiliated with the group. Meanwhile, gunmen in Tripoli open fire and kill 3 outside the home of Hizballah supporter. (AP, HA, REU 8/22; YA 8/27)

Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz says that the govt. believes that Syrian forces are responsible for a chemical weapons attack that reportedly killed hundreds of people in Ghouta, a rebel-controlled suburb of Damascus. Meanwhile, Syria’s dep. PM says that foreign fighters and their international supporters are to blame for the attack. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexander Lukashevich says that his govt. urges the Syrian authorities and the UN to agree on chemical weapons experts visiting the site of the alleged attack. (AP, AFP, REU 8/22)

Former Egyptian pres. Husni Mubarak is released from a prison cell and moved to house arrest at a military hospital. (NYT 8/22)

Israeli pres. Shimon Peres says he has met with Palestinian pres. Mahmud Abbas and other Palestinian officials several times in recent months to discuss resuming peace talks. The Palestinians do not comment. (WT 6/20) A previously unknown group calling itself the Mujahiddin Shura Council of Jerusalem (which claims ties to alQa‘ida) releases a video claiming responsibility for the 6/18 cross-border attack on Israel from Egypt. The video shows the 2 assailants killed by the IDF, identifying them as an Egyptian and a Saudi. (WP 6/20; NYT 6/21)

Responding to recent Israeli air strikes and cross-border shootings in Gaza that killed 6 Palestinians, Hamas’s IQB for the 1st time in more than a year fires a barrage of at least 45 rockets (including at least 10 Grads) fr. Gaza into Israel; 1 rocket damages an Israeli police barracks and injures 2 police officers, but the others land in open areas. The IQB says it is aiming predominantly at open areas to minimize the severity of its rocket fire and to ‘‘send a message’’ to Israel. Expecting retaliation, Hamas security officials vacate their bases. Israel initially issues a stern warning and carries out 1 air strike on a Palestinian rocketlaunching team nr. Dayr al-Balah, wounding 1 armed Palestinian. Late at night, however, Israeli warplanes and drones carry out 7 air strikes on Hamas targets across Gaza, seriously wounding 1 IQB mbr. The targets include a garage and a group of armed Palestinians in Gaza City, a vacant house in al-Bureij r.c., and 2 IQB training camps nr. Bayt Lahiya and Rafah. (HA 6/19; NYT, YA 6/20; PCHR 6/21; OCHA 6/22)

In the West Bank, Jewish settlers set fire to a mosque in the village of Jaba nr. Bethlehem and spray graffiti on its walls warning the Israeli government against evacuating the unauthorized settlement outpost of Ulpana (5 buildings, 30 families). This is the 12th mosque vandalized by Jewish settlers since 1/2011. Jewish settlers also vandalize the car of the settler leader negotiating the terms of Ulpana’s evacuation with the Israeli government. OCHA reports that in the previous week, the IDF carried out several significant demolitions in Israelicontrolled Area C: 14 residential structures and 11 animal pens in the al-Hirma bedouin community near Bethlehem (64 displaced, including 37 children); 6 seasonal residential structures in the Jordan Valley (20 displaced); 1 residential structure nr. Qalqilya; and 2 animal pens nr. East Jerusalem. (NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 6/20; OCHA 6/22)

The P5+1 and Iran close 2 days of ‘‘intense and tough’’ nuclear talks in Moscow. Both sides say that the talks were so detailed and so heated that they need a break to digest all that has been discussed and to confer with their governments. Iran reportedly offers to halt enrichment of uranium to 20% purity if the international community acknowledges Iran’s right to enrich uranium and immediately rolls back sanctions. The P5+1 refuses to delay or waive sanctions until Iran meets specific benchmarks of compliance. Ashton announces that the sides plan to send technical experts to Istanbul on 7/3 ‘‘to make sure all clearly understood the nature of both sides’ proposals’’ and to gauge the prospects for narrowing gaps and holding more negotiations. Meanwhile, the next round of EU and U.S. sanctions are scheduled to go into effect as scheduled on 7/1. (NYT 6/19; NYT, WP 6/20; NYT 7/2; WT 7/4; NYT 7/5)

Unidentified U.S. and Western officials confirm to the Washington Post (6/20) that the U.S. and Israel jointly developed the Flame virus to map and monitor Iran’s computer networks in preparation for a major cyberwarfare campaign. They said, however, that Israel deployed the virus unilaterally, without consulting the U.S., leading to its premature detection by Iran and to development of critical Iranian countermeasures. U.S. intelligence officials had hoped that Flame would reside undetected on Iran’s networks for years sending back valuable information. Computer experts said (WP 6/20) that Flame contained ‘‘DNA-like evidence’’ linking it to the Stuxnet virus (see QU in JPS 158). This would make the Stuxnet and Flame attacks the first recorded sustained cyber-sabotage campaign against a state. (WP 6/20)

Lebanon releases 9 Islamists (7 Lebanese, 1 Palestinian, 1 Saudi) tied to Fatah al-Islam who were among the approximate 180 people detained during the 2007 clashes between Fatah al-Islam and the Lebanese army in Nahr al-Barid r.c. in n. Lebanon (see QU in JPS 145–46). (WT 6/20)

The IDF seals the West Bank and Gaza and tightens restrictions on Palestinian movements (including reimposing all Gaza checkpoints removed after the Palestinian ceasefire declaration on 6/29), expecting retaliation for its 9/6 attempt to assassinate Shaykh Yasin. In Khan Yunis, the IDF fires 4 missiles at the home of Hamas mbr. ‘Abd al-Salam Abu Musa, claiming it is a Hamas arsenal; Abu Musa escapes moments before the attack, which injures 15 bystanders, damages 9 surrounding homes. The IDF alsoarrests PA official Akram Tubasi on charges of smuggling weapons fr. Egypt to Gaza; demolishes a Palestinian home in Tulkarm; conducts arrest raids in Jaba’, Khan Yunis, Qalqilya, Ramallah; fires on residential areas of Rafah. Hamas mbrs. detonate a roadside bomb nr. an IDF patrol in Gaza, lightly wounding 3 soldiers. (Israel National News 9/7; NYT, WP, WT 9/8; PCHR 9/11)

Arafat nominates PC speaker and Oslo architect Ahmad Qurai‘ to replace Abbas as PM. Qurai‘ says he would accept the nomination, provided he receives assurances of cooperation fr. the EU, Israel, U.S. (AP, BBC, HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT 9/8; HA, NYT, WP, WT 9/9; AYM, ITAR-TASS 9/9 in WNC 9/11; MM 9/10)

The IDF launches a predawn raid on Balata r.c. and Hebron, placing the area under curfew, sparking clashes that leave 30 Palestinians wounded. The IDF also fires on a PSF post outside Bayt Hanun, killing a PSF officer; imposes a closure on Nablus; lifts the closure on Ramallah; demolishes a Palestinian home in Tulkarm; conducts arrest raids in Jaba, Kafr Haris. 2 Palestinians die of injuries received earlier. Israel releases some 100 Palestinian detainees, including Ahmad Jubara, the longest-serving detainee, jailed in 1975 for staging a bombing that killed 14 Israelis. Kach activists set up 4 new unauthorized settlement outposts in the West Bank. (HA, MM 6/3; NYT, PR, WP, WT 6/4; MA 6/4 in WNC 6/8; PCHR 6/5)

In Sharm al-Shaykh, Bush meets with Abbas and the leaders of Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia for talks on “issues of common interest,” including the peace process, Iraq, international efforts to combat terrorism, economic cooperation. (BBC, MM, WP 6/3; DUS, ITAR-TASS, MENA, XIN 6/3 in WNC 6/4; SARR, THWR 6/3 in WNC 7/10; MM, NYT, PR, WP, WT 6/4; QA, al-Quds 6/4 in WNC 6/7; DUS 6/6 in WNC 7/10; THWR 6/6, THWR, TSHR 6/7 in WNC 7/11; MM 6/10)