The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man shot by Israeli forces on 1/8 in Beitunia succumbs to his wounds. Israeli settlers set olive trees and an agriculture structure on fire near Kafr ad-Dik. Israeli forces raid Nablus and Abud, injuring 8 people with live ammunition, including a child, and cause widespread destruction in Nablus. Israeli forces also demolish a car wash and a nursery in Kafl Haris. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raze 6 dunams (1.5 acres) of Palestinian-owned land planted with 50 olive trees in Hebron and 2 dunams (.5 acres) of Palestinian-owned land near Bethlehem. Israeli forces also raid a medical clinic near Bethlehem, causing damage. Israeli forces arrest 26 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tulkarm, Tubas, Hebron, Jenin, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities demolish a Palestinian home in Sur Baher, displacing 8 people. In Gaza, Israel bombs Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Maghazi, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 147 people, including 4 crew members and 2 injured Palestinians being transported an ambulance, killing 40 people in a home at the entrance of al-Aqsa Hospital in Dayr al-Balah, and 15 people in an apartment building in Rafah. In the Naqab, Israeli forces demolish the al-Za’arura and Bir Hadaj Bedouin villages. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack the home of a Hezbollah member in Kfarchouba, killing him. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/10; AJ 1/11)

More than 23,357 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 16,350 women and children, and around 59,410 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 335 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 84 children. More than 4,148 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 184 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,076 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% 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 Israeli blockade. At least 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 193 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (WAFA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 1/10)

Israel places Khalida Jarrar in administrative detention for an initial period of 6 months. (AJ 1/10)

Haaretz reports that Israel demolished 140 Palestinian homes and 84 other structures in East Jerusalem in 2023, marking a 60% increase in home demolitions compared to 2022. The newspaper notes that during the first 9 months of 2023 10 housing units were demolished per month and after 10/7 the figure rose to 17 a month. (HA 1/10)

Hamas official Osama Hamdan says there are no talks about a prisoner exchange, adding Israel is defrauding the Israeli public by circulating reports about talks. Hamdan maintains the Hamas position that it will not engage until Israel stops its attacks on Gaza. Hamdan also calls on the ICJ not to be pressured by the U.S. (AJ, HA, NYT 1/10)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken in Ramallah, discussing the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. Reports describe the meeting as intense, with Abbas pressing Blinken on Israel’s freezing of the PA’s tax revenue and Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Palestinians protest Blinken’s visit, saying he is not welcome. Blinken later tells the press in Bahrain that Abbas agreed to reform the PA in preparation to take control of Gaza. Abbas flies to Aqaba in Jordan after the meeting with Blinken where he meets Jordanian king Abdullah II and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, discussing ways to end Israel’s war in Gaza and prevent the displacement of Palestinians. PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh meets with U.S. deputy assistant secretary for Palestinian affairs Hady Amr in Ramallah. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/10; AJ, AJ, HA, NYT 1/11)

In an English language post on X Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, “Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population,” contradicting statements by several of his coalition members. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz says Hamas no longer has ruling capabilities in Gaza and that Israel will continue its war to prevent Hamas from regaining control. Gantz also says that security in Gaza will remain “in our hands.” Likud member and deputy speaker of the Knesset Nissim Vatur tells the Kol Barama radio station that “Gaza and its people must be burned.” (AJ, AP, HA, HA 1/10)

Colombia and Brazil issue statements in support of the South African case against Israel at the ICJ. Palestinians rally in Ramallah in support of the case. (AJ 1/10; AJ 1/11)

The UN Security Council passes a resolution demanding that Yemen’s Houthi government ends its attacks on ships in the Red Sea and frees the ship Galaxy Leader and its crew. Russia, China, Mozambique, and Algeria abstain. 3 Russian amendments to the resolution fail. The Houthis call the resolution a “political game.”  (AJ, AP, AP, HA 1/10; AJ, AJ, HA 1/11)

The ICC sets up a portal for submission of evidence of Israeli war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, or aggression. (AJ, WAFA 1/10)

The Chinese Foreign Ministry calls for an immediate ceasefire and for Israel to stop “collective punishment” of the people of Gaza. (AJ 1/10)

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis suggests at a presidential primary debate that Egypt or Saudi Arabia should resettle some Palestinians from Gaza if Israel “makes the calculation that [it is needed] to avert a second Holocaust.” Another candidate, Nikki Haley, says the U.S. should give Israel “whatever it wants.” (AJ, HA 1/11)

A poll conducted for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy finds that 96% of Saudis believe all Arab states should sever all ties with Israel. A YouGov poll commissioned by Medical Aid for Palestinians and the Council for Arab-British Understanding shows that 71% of people in the UK support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, while 17% approve of the UK government’s handling of the war on Gaza. (AJ 1/10)

The Jewish Forward reports that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has started including pro-Palestine rallies in its tally of anti-Semitic incidents. The report also says that the ADL now deems all anti-Zionist chants and slogans anti-Semitic, leading to pro-Palestine rallies where anti-Zionist slogan were chanted constituting 40% of incidents of anti-Semitism counted in a recent ADL report. (AJ, HA 1/10)

The International Ice Hockey Federation bars Israel from participating in world championship events, citing security concerns. Israel calls the ban “anti-Semitic.” The decision prevents the U20 Israeli hockey team from participating in a Division III world championship tournament later this month. (HA, TOI 1/11)

In the West Bank, 1 Israeli settler shot and killed 1 Palestinian man after he allegedly shot and wounded 6 settlers in the Ma’ale Adumim settlement. Israeli settlers also erected barbed wire fencing on Palestinian-owned land in al-Maleh. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian minor after he allegedly tried to stab 2 Israeli soldiers that stopped to interrogate him near as-Samu. Israeli forces also demolished a commercial structure in Deir Balut. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided Sabastia, surveying the town’s Roman amphitheater. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces prevented a Palestinian ambulance from entering East Jerusalem at al-Zaim checkpoint, resulting in the death of a 40-year-old Palestinian man who had suffered a stroke. (AJ, AP, HA, QDS, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/1; MEE, WAFA 8/2; PCHR 8/3; HA 8/5; UNOCHA 8/11)

The Ghaith-Sub Laban family, who were evicted from their home in the Old City of East Jerusalem, received a letter ordering them to pay for their own eviction by paying $4,613 to the Israeli police and $4,500 to the company that carried out the eviction. The family also owe $3,500 in court fees. The Ghaith-Sub Laban family was evicted on 7/11 as Israeli settlers took over their home. (HA 8/11; WAFA 8/13; MEMO 8/14)

The Israeli National Planning and Building Council approved the establishment of 5 new communities in the Naqab, including 4 Jewish communities and 1 for Bedouins. A memorandum discussed in the Southern District Planning and Building Committee last month said the goal of the Jewish communities is to prevent the expansion of Bedouin communities along Routh 25 and to bolster the Jewish presence in the area. (HA 7/31)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinian minors during a raid in Rumana; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinians during a raid in al-Arroub refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces razed farmland and olive trees in al-Zawiya to make room for water pipes connecting 2 Israeli settlements. Israeli forces also seized 1 bulldozer and construction equipment in Artas, seized 1 mobile home in Duma, and demolished 2 residential structures near Kafr Malik, displacing 17. 12 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Dura, Hebron, Dheisheh refugee camp, Kafr Ni‘ma, and Tulkarm. In the Naqab, Israeli authorities demolished 1 Palestinian-owned home in al-Buqei‘a Bedouin community, displacing 14. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/21; PCHR 9/22; UNOCHA 9/30)

The PA security forces and local militant factions in Nablus reached an agreement to end tensions in the city. The PA security forces reportedly promised not to arrest Palestinians in Nablus on behalf of Israel and that the PA would release many of those arrested on 9/20 during the unrest that followed the arrest of Hamas member Musab Ashtaya. (HA 9/22)

30 Palestinians held on administrative detention announced that they would start an open-ended hunger strike, demanding their freedom. The mass hunger strike is scheduled to begin on 9/25. (AJ 9/25)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas held meetings with leaders of the UK, Libya, Malta, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Norway at the sidelines of the annual UNGA meeting. President Abbas also met with president of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari at the UN building. (WAFA 9/21; WAFA 9/22)

UK prime minister Liz Truss told Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid, during a meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA, that she is considering moving the UK embassy of Israel to Jerusalem. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Truss told reporters that Truss’s government is reviewing the current location of the embassy. The PA condemned the news, saying that “opening an embassy in Jerusalem amounts to complicity in Israel’s illegal annexation of the city.” Prime Minister Lapid also met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and UN secretary-general António Guterres. (ALM, NAT 9/21; AJ, DM, GDN, HA, IN, JP, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 9/22; MEE 9/23; MEMO 9/24)

Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borell convened a meeting with representatives from 25 countries, including the U.S. and the PA, to find ways to revamp the Arab Peace Initiative. (AX 9/21; WAFA 9/22)

The foreign ministers of Egypt, France, Jordan, and Germany held a meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA, focused on revamping the Middle East peace process. The 4 countries released a statement calling on resuming direct negotiations. (WAFA 9/22; WAFA 9/23)

In an interview with French media, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he was “in shock” over Israel’s refusal to supply air defense systems to Ukraine to help the country in its fight against the occupying Russian forces. (TOI 9/23; JP, MEE, REU 9/24; AJ 9/25)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian who was shot by Israeli forces during a protest in Burqa on 3/1 succumbed to his wounds. Israeli settlers uprooted and stole grape saplings and damaged a stone wall and barbed wire fence in Kafr ad-Dik. Israeli settlers also razed a plot of land near Battir. Israeli forces violently dispersed a memorial service held for a Palestinian killed by Israeli forces on 3/1 at the Khadouri Technical University campus north of Hebron, injuring 3 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also confiscated 2 water pumps and electric cables in Birin. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 1 Palestinian-owned home in Khallet al-Eideh near Hebron and assaulted 2 Palestinians resisting the demolition. Israeli forces also delivered a demolition order for a residential structure in the Abu al-Nuwwar Bedouin community east of Jerusalem. 20 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Jalazun refugee camp, al-Ram, Deir Abu Mash‘al, Tuqu‘, Hebron, Yatta, al-Zawiya, Jenin, and Fahma. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished 1 Palestinian house under construction in Shu‘fat refugee camp. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen west of Beit Lahiya; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian famers east of Beit Hanun and Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. In Israel, anti-Palestinian graffiti was sprayed on 1 Palestinian vehicle and the tires of 30 vehicles were slashed in Jaljulia. (HA, HA, MEMO, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/9; MEMO, PCHR 3/10; UNOCHA 3/11; UNOCHA 3/25)

Israel’s police commissioner Kobi Shabtai instructed the Israeli police to halt Palestinian home evictions and demolitions in East Jerusalem and the Naqab during the month of Ramadan. (HA 3/9)

The Israeli civil administration said, after having to respond to a freedom of information petition from HaMoked, that during 2021 it had banned 10,594 Palestinians from the West Bank from traveling abroad. According to a source in the civil administration, travel bans can be applied to Palestinians by Israel automatically, for example, in cases where the person is a relative of someone deemed by Israel to be involved with terrorism. (HA, MEE 3/9; MEMO 3/10)

PA civil affairs minister Hussein al-Sheikh met with Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid. Civil Affairs Minister al-Sheikh said he stressed to Lapid the need for a political horizon and an end to Israeli settlement expansion. (WAFA 3/9)

The Jewish Agency said that “[i]f all goes well, we will bring tens of thousands [of Ukrainians] to Israel in the coming year,” referring to the refugee crisis in Ukraine as Russia has declared war on the country. (HA 3/9)

Israeli president Isaac Herzog met with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara. President Erdoğan told reporters after the meeting that he believes the 2 countries are entering an era of mutual ties. (AJ, ALM, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU 3/9; HA, TOI 3/10)

Former U.S. vice president Mike Pence toured Hebron, including al-Ibrahimi Mosque, with Israeli settler activists MK Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel, who were both leaders of the Kach movement. Vice President Pence also received an honorary degree from the settler university in Ariel and met with former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, current prime minister Naftali Bennett, president Isaac Herzog, and foreign minister Yair Lapid. (AX 3/9; AP, HA, WAFA, WP 3/10; MEMO 3/11)

Belgium signed a cooperation agreement with the PA worth $77 million over 5 years. The funding is earmarked for education, vocational training, job creation, and climate issues in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. (WAFA 3/9; MEMO 3/10)

China donated 200,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines to UNRWA to help inoculate Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. (WAFA 3/9)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Sabastia, throwing stones at 2 Palestinian homes. Israeli settlers with military escort raided Burqa, leading to a confrontation between Israeli forces and Palestinians protecting their land; tear-gas related injuries were reported. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles outside of Burqa. Some 1,200 Israeli settlers visited the evacuated Homesh settlement outpost, bypassing Israeli checkpoints without incident. Israeli forces blocked a road between Nablus and Jenin near Sabastia. 1 Palestinian was arrested during a raid in Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, head of the Anti-Judaization Committee Naser al-Hidmi received a notice that he was banned from traveling for 5 months. 2 Palestinians were arrested, including 1 minor during a late-night raid in Silwan and 1 while present at the Damascus Gate plaza. In Israel, Palestinians protested in Beersheba in support of the about 130 Palestinians who have been arrested while protesting displacement of Bedouin communities in the Naqab in the past week. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/16; HA, WAFA 1/17; PCHR 1/20)

The town of Kafr ‘Aqab in East Jerusalem experienced severe flooding after heavy rainfall overnight, causing damage. Kafr ‘Aqab, which is within the Israeli-annexed Jerusalem municipal boundaries but is on the West Bank side of the separation wall, lacks municipality services, causing issues like the severe flooding. (HA 1/17)

The Knesset ministerial committee for legislation approved a bill that would bar Palestinians married to Israeli citizens from getting residency rights in Israel. The bill, which must still pass in the Knesset, builds on a temporary ban on Palestinian family unification, which expired in July 2021. Interior minister Ayelet Shaked has acted as if the ban did not expire in July and has been ordered by the Israeli supreme court to pass legislation justifying her policy. (HA, JP, TOI 1/16)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 6 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. 2 Palestinians were arrested, including 1 during a late-night raid in Qalqilya and 1 at a checkpoint in Kafr Qaddum. In East Jerusalem, 5 Palestinians were arrested in the Old City. In the Naqab desert, Palestinians continued to protest, for the 5th day in a row, the forestation project that is seeking to displace Bedouins near Sawa by throwing stones at vehicles, injuring 1 police officer at the Nevatim air base southeast of Beersheba. (HA, WAFA, WAFA 1/14; PCHR 1/20)

Hamas official Basem Naim said Hamas and Fatah officials are meeting separately with Algerian mediators in Algiers to reconcile their divisions. Naim said meetings could continue until February and that Hamas has not ruled out direct meetings with Fatah. (MEMO 1/17)

The Israeli Defense and Security Forum, led by 3 former Israeli generals, wrote an op-ed in Haaretz, saying that Israeli leaders need to address the growing issue of Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. (HA 1/14)

U.S. ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said he would not be visiting West Bank settlements during his tenure as ambassador, restoring the norm from before the Trump administration. Former ambassador David Friedman was an outspoken settler activist. (MEMO 1/15)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Palestinian homes in Birin, causing damage. Israeli settlers also stopped 3 Palestine TV journalists while driving near Bittin, forcing them out of their car and beating them, causing bruising. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian with live ammunition during a raid in Tubas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Burqa, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians throwing stones at a checkpoint near al-Arroub refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Israeli forces in a friendly fire incident in the Jordan Valley, believing the 2 were Palestinians. 9 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in ‘Askar refugee camp, Qabatiya, Qatanna, and Zeita. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian demolished his own store under construction in Shu‘fat refugee camp. 2 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Isawiya. In the Naqab desert, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters near Sawa, injuring 3 and arresting 13; it was the 4th day in a row that Palestinians have protested a forestation program in the Naqab designed to displace Bedouins. (AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEMO, MEMO, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/13; MEMO, WAFA, WAFA 1/14; HA 1/15; PCHR 1/20)

Israeli Channel 13 News reported that Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid met with PA intelligence chief Majed Faraj in the days after PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz, at Gantz’s home on 12/28/2021. Israeli sources said that Lapid and Faraj only talked about economic and security issues. (HA 1/13)

Members of the Jewish National Fund’s executive board called a meeting to gain clarification about why it had not been consulted about the forestation project in the Naqab that had led to large protests from Palestinians due to the displacement of Bedouins in the area. (HA 1/13)

The Citizen Lab said it had found NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware on dozens of phones belonging to Salvadorian journalists and human rights activists. The spokesperson of Salvadorian president Nayib Bukele said that El Salvador is not a client of NSO group. (AJ, AP, HA 1/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked 1 Palestinian surveyor in Kafr Qalil, causing injuries to his head. Israeli settlers with military escort made roadblocks around Sabastia. Israeli forces arrested and assaulted 1 80-year-old Palestinian American man in Jiljilyya during a late-night raid, leading to his death; the man was found dead by Palestinians in an empty house in Jiljilyya after being arrested by the Israeli forces; the U.S. called for an investigation into his death. Israeli forces also delivered stop-work notices for 2 houses and for work on the electric grid in Bayt Dajan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 1 house, 2 water wells and 2 agricultural structures in al-Fakhit. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian journalist with a rubber-coated bullet during a raid in Beitunia. 12 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Halhul, Hebron, Asira ash-Shamaliya, and Silat al-Harithiya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities delivered a demolition notice for a mosque in Isawiya and demolished 2 retaining walls in al-Walaja. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 6 nautical miles off the coast; no injuries were reported. In Israel, 5 Palestinians were arrested for burning tires in Tel as-Sabi in protest over the Jewish National Fund’s forestation project on land Bedouins use for agriculture. Radical Israeli politician Itamar Ben-Gvir was among the people planting trees on the Bedouins’ land. (ALM, ALM, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, NYT, TOI, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WP 1/12; AJ, AP, MDW, MEMO, MEMO, PCHR, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/13; HA 1/14; HA, WAFA 1/15; WAFA 1/16; NYT 1/20)

British consul general in Jerusalem Diane Corner met with Palestinians threatened by eviction in Sheikh Jarrah. (WAFA 1/13)

Haaretz reported that U.S. military personal charged with training Palestinian forces were given a tour of Hebron, including of al-Ibrahimi Mosque by settler advocate Noam Arnon. The tour was arranged by the Israeli military’s central command leader Yahuda Fuchs. (HA 1/12)

The Israeli supreme court reduced the sentence handed to an Israeli settler who had thrown a stun grenade at a Palestinian home in Sarta from 20 months to 12 months, reinstating a plea agreement a lower court had deemed too lenient. (HA 1/12; MEMO 1/13)

The United Arab List (UAL) boycotted sessions in the Knesset today in protest over a Jewish National Fund (JNF) forestation project in Bedouin-inhabited areas of the Naqab desert. In wake of the UAL boycott, the Israeli opposition passed 5 bills in preliminary votes. Labor minister Meir Cohen and UAL leader Mansour Abbas later came to an agreement that future work by the JNF must be negotiated by the coalition partners. (AP, HA, REU 1/12; ALM, HA, HA, HA 1/13)

In the West Bank, some 30 Israeli settlers with military escort threw stones at Palestinians and buildings in Kafr al-Dik, injuring 1 Palestinian and damaging 1 agricultural structure and 1 vehicle. Israeli settlers also set up tents on Palestinian-owned land near Taqqua. Israeli forces arrested 1 Palestinian who allegedly tried to ram Israeli settlers with a car at a spring near the Allon settlement; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces also seized 1 tractor near Bidya. Elsewhere, 1 Palestinian was injured during a fall after being chased by Israeli forces at the separation barrier west of Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently disbanded Palestinians preparing for a Mother’s Day event at a stadium in al-Tur, saying it was funded by the PA; 1 Palestinian was physically assaulted by the forces. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Bayt Lahiya; no injuries were reported. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/28; WAFA 3/29; PCHR 4/1)

Leader of Ra’am (United Arab List) Mansour Abbas met with Yesh Atid (There Is a Future) chairman Yair Lapid to discuss the possibility of forming a government. There are currently 2 blocs, pro-Netanyahu and anti-Netanyahu, with neither having enough mandates to form a government. 2 parties, Yamina (Rightwards) and Ra’am, have not pledged their support to either bloc. According to a source, Abbas and Lapid discussed recognizing unauthorized bedouin villages in the Negev, revoking racist sanctions on illegal construction in Palestinian towns in Israel, freezing the Nation-State Law and combatting violence in Palestinian-Israeli areas of Israel. Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) chairman Avigdor Lieberman said that his party would recommend to president Reuven Rivlin that Lapid should be tasked with forming a government. (HA, HA, JP 3/28)

In the West Bank, Palestinians in Kafr Malik forced Israeli settlers to leave their property after they set up caravans on their land; as the confrontation ensued, Israeli forces intervened on behalf of the settlers, injuring 2 Palestinians with rubber-coated bullets. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers threw stones at construction workers in Burqa. Israeli forces razed Palestinian-owned land in Haris. 12 Palestinians in the Ofer prison tested positive for COVID-19, raising the number of Palestinian prisoners testing positive for the virus to 29. 43 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Dura, Hebron, Yatta, Bani Na‘im, al-‘Arub refugee camp, Bayt Umar, Bethlehem, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family started demolishing 2 floors of their home in the Old City. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/8; PCHR 9/10)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized for the killing of a Palestinian-Israeli man who Israeli police shot during the demolition of the Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran in the Negev in January 2017. Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israeli police, after the shooting, falsely had claimed the man was a terrorist. Chairman of the Joint List Ayman Odeh accused Netanyahu of having created the idea that the Palestinian-Israeli man was a terrorist when he was killed in 2017. Netanyahu’s comments fell after Haaretz reported on an internal document from the Shin Bet saying there was no evidence or indication of a terror attack. (HA 9/8; HA 9/9; TOI 9/10)

The son of Chadian president Idriss Déby, Abdelkarim Déby, represented his country during a visit to Israel and meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu. According to a statement from Netanyahu’s office, the 2 discussed possibly exchanging embassies, including a Chadian embassy in Jerusalem. The Chadian foreign ministry “categorically” denied having any intentions to open an embassy in Jerusalem. (HA 9/8; WAFA 9/9)

The EU missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah expressed concern over Israel’s demolitions of Palestinian structures in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. (WAFA 9/8)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolished the foundations to 1 new school and 1 Palestinian-owned home near Yatta; 1 tent and 1 mobile home near Bayt Jala; and razed 2 roads in al-Walaja. Israeli forces also arrested 6 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Yatta and Jenin. Separately, Palestinians suffered tear-gas related injuries during a raid in Bayt Umar. In East Jerusalem, 5 Palestinians were arrested in Issawiyya during late-night raids. In Gaza, Israeli forces struck targets in Gaza for the 2d day in a row after incendiary balloons allegedly were launched at Israel. Israeli forces also sprayed herbicides over Palestinian farmland for the 3d day in a row. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen west of Bayt Lahiya. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/16; WAFA 1/17; PCHR 1/23)

The Israeli defense ministry filed a 100,000 NIS ($29,000) suit against a bedouin whose cowherd had interfered in Israeli military drills in the Negev on 6/3/2019. (HA 1/16)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces arrested 8 Palestinians, including 7 during late-night raids in and around Qalqilya, Ramallah, Halhul, and Salfit, and 1 at a flying checkpoint in Hebron; among the arrested at a late-night raid in Ramallah was 1 Palestinian instructor from Birzeit University in Ramallah. Israeli forces also conducted house raids in Zabbuba near Jenin; no arrests were reported. Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian-owned vehicles travelling on a road northeast of Ramallah, causing damage. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian was arrested during a late-night raid in Issawiyya. 1 Palestinian demolished his store in Silwan after receiving a demolition order by Israeli authorities. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/1; PCHR 9/5)

After more than 340 Palestinians had been arrested in Issawiyya in East Jerusalem during the summer, it was reported that the Israeli police, the Jerusalem Municipality, and residents of Issawiyya had come to an agreement on limiting Israeli operations in Issawiyya. The agreement includes that residents of Issawiyya cancel a school strike on 9/2, the 1st day of the school year. (HA 9/1)

According to the Palestinian Energy Authority, Qatar will be cutting the amount of fuel it funds for Gaza by 50 percent, causing the hours of electricity available in Gaza to drop from 8 hours per day to 5 or 6. (HA 9/1)

At a visit to the Israeli settlement of Elkana, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that that he aspires to apply Israeli sovereignty to all Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Netanyahu’s announcement comes 2 weeks before the Israeli general election. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 9/1)

The al-Kasom Regional Council in the Negev, which presides over a large Bedouin community, announced that 17,000 students would not start the school year as planned on 9/2 as the Israeli education ministry had not given it enough money to begin the school year as planned. (HA 9/1)

Israeli forces and Hezbollah operatives exchanged missiles near the border of Israel and Lebanon. According to Hezbollah, it fired anti-tank missiles at Israeli military vehicles. The Israeli military and Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that it had hit the Hezbollah cell that fired the anti-tank missiles with “100 shells, aerial fire and various measures.” (HA 9/1; AJ, AJ, HA 9/2; HA 9/4)

In the West Bank, several Palestinians were arrested by Israeli forces near Khillet al-Dabe village while attempting to plant olive trees. On a road near Ramallah, around 15 Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles passing by the settlers. Damage was reported, but no injuries. Settlers also razed Palestinian farmland in Burin in the West Bank. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police detained an employee of the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf for opening the doors to Bab al-Rahma. A similar incident unfolded on 4/1. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions to level land near Khan Yunis. Israeli naval forces attacked Palestinian fishermen 3 nautical miles from the coast of Gaza City by firing live ammunition at them and spraying with the non-lethal weapon Skunk. A Palestinian teen shot by Israeli forces by the Gaza fence on 4/3 succumbed to his injuries at an Israeli hospital. In Israel, an incendiary balloon was found in a cemetery in the Israeli city Kiryat Gat. Elsewhere in Israel, the Bedouin village of al-Araqib was demolished for the 142d time. Israeli prison forces raided section 1 of the Negev prison and transferred prisoners to other sections of the prison. (HA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/4)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with Israeli radio that “All the options are still on the table, including entering Gaza and occupying it, out of consideration of what is best for Israel.” He also said in the interview that he had explored the option of having another country take charge of Gaza, but no one had volunteered. (JP 4/4; MNA 4/5)

The Japanese embassy in Lebanon announced that Japan would contribute an additional $6 million for UNRWA projects in Lebanon. (MNA, WAFA 4/5)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces punitively seal shut the Yatta home of a Palestinian imprisoned on charges related to a 6/2016 attack on Israelis in Tel Aviv. Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home in Ni‘lin overnight. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid near Bethlehem and patrol near Hebron and Nablus. In the Negev, Israeli forces demolish the Palestinian Bedouin village of al-Araqib for the 121st time since 2010. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 11/16; PCHR 11/23)

The IDF orders approximately 300 Palestinian Bedouins to evacuate their homes near the Ma’ale Adumim settlement ahead of the planned demolition of their village, Jabal al-Baba. Similar orders have been issued for a Bedouin village in the northern Jordan Valley and other villages near Jerusalem, but none has been enforced yet. (HA, MNA, WAFA 11/17; TOI 11/18)

Sinai Province of the Islamic State (SPIS) fighters launch rockets into Israel from n. Sinai late at night. Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense batteries intercept 3 of them; others land in open areas nr. Eilat. No Israelis are injured. SPIS last launched rockets into Israel in 7/2015 (see JPS 45 [1]). Later, 2 Palestinians are killed and at least 5 are injured in an air strike targeting the smuggling tunnel they are working in nr. Rafah. The IDF denies carrying out the strike. Palestinian eyewitnesses say they saw an Israeli aircraft launch it, and Palestinian security sources say it was a retaliation for the rocket barrage. (HA, JP 2/8; HA, MNA, WAFA 2/9)

An Israeli settler driver rams an elderly Palestinian nr. Bethlehem, causing fatal injuries. The Palestinian dies later in the day. Israeli settlers raze a swath of Palestinianowned land nr. Nablus overnight. Meanwhile, IDF troops arrest 5 Palestinians during raids nr. Hebron and Ramallah, and patrol nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a 2d Palestinian building in Bayt Hanina in as many days. They also assault and arrest 4 Palestinian youths in Silwan. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. the Erez border crossing. IDF troops also open fire on Palestinian agricultural lands nr. Rafah and Bayt Hanun, causing no serious damage or injuries. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Jabaliya r.c., causing no damage or injuries. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish the bedouin village of al-‘Araqib in the Negev for the 109th time since 2010. (MNA, WAFA 2/8; PCHR 2/9; PCHR 2/16)

In Washington, PA intelligence chief Majid Faraj leads a Palestinian delegation in their first face-to-face talks with Trump admin. officials. According to a Palestinian source, they discuss diplomatic issues, particularly Trump’s pledge to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. (AP 2/9; HA, TOI 2/10)

Ten days after Israeli forces demolished 8 homes and 7 agricultural buildings in the bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran in the Negev, a Palestinian lawyers’ group and an organization of neighboring villages donate 2 mobile homes to the community today (a 3d mobile home, donated by the residents of the city of Jaffa, is expected to arrive on 1/29). In the West Bank, IDF troops weld shut the entrance to a metalwork shop in Hebron and demolish the contents of a printing house in Ramallah. They also arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid nr. Ramallah; and patrol during the day nr. Hebron and Salfit. (MNA 1/28; PCHR 2/2)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing in both directions for humanitarian cases. (MNA, WAFA 1/28)

Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Khan Yunis. IDF troops open fire on Palestinian agricultural lands nr. Jabaliya r.c., causing no damage. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Khan Yunis, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces deliver stop-work orders to a Palestinian road and a number of buildings under construction in the n. Jordan Valley. They also demolish a poultry farm in Barta‘a village nr. Jenin. After reports of stone throwing in the Salfit area, the IDF closes down the entrances to Marda village. IDF troops patrol nr. Hebron and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces cut down tens of olive trees in Sheikh Jarrah to clear space for a road that will connect Israeli settlements in the area. A Palestinian family demolishes its construction materials shop and a number of other structures in Jabal Mukabir to avoid paying Israeli demolition fees. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish the bedouin village of al-‘Araqib in the Negev for the 108th time since 2010. (MNA, WAFA 1/12; PCHR 1/19)

Israeli forces punitively demolish a Palestinian home in Kafr ‘Aqab, n. of Jerusalem, sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents of the area; 1 Palestinian is killed and several are injured. The owner of the home was killed on 10/9 after participating in the drive-by shooting of a crowd of Israelis. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops conduct arrest raids in Balata r.c. nr. Nablus late at night, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; 1 Israeli soldier and 1 Palestinian are injured. They also arrest 2 Palestinians during raids nr. Nablus and Salfit, assault and seriously injure a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Nablus, and patrol during the day nr. Hebron and Salfit. An Israeli settler driver attempts to ram 2 Palestinian youths nr. Hebron, causing no injuries. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish the bedouin village al-‘Araqib in the Negev for the 107th time since 2010. (IMEMC, MNA 12/22; PCHR 12/29)

Following high-level contacts between the Israeli and Egyptian govts. and massive Israeli pressure against the draft UNSC res. Egypt circulated on 12/21, 2 Western diplomats say that the vote set for today has been postponed indefinitely. Later, 4 mbrs. of the UNSC—New Zealand, Venezuela, Malaysia, and Senegal—give Egypt an ultimatum. They tell Cairo that, if it does not call a vote by 12/23, they reserved the right to table the draft themselves. (EI, HA, JP, NBC, REU, TOI, WAFA, YA 12/22; HA, JP, MNA 12/23)

France’s FM Jean-Marc Ayrault announces that the peace conference initially set for 12/21 is now scheduled for 1/15/2017, adding that the summit will present conclusions to Israeli PM Netanyahu and PA pres. Abbas in a mediated meeting in the hopes of relaunching peace negotiations. (MNA, TOI 12/23)

After the residents of the illegal Amona settlement outpost formally pledge to evacuate their homes peacefully, Israel’s High Court of Justice agrees to the govt.’s request for a 45-day postponement of its order for the outpost to be evacuated and demolished by 12/25. (HA, JP, TOI, YA 12/22; MNA 12/24)

At sundown, Israeli authorities close Haram al-Sharif and Hebron’s al-Ibrahimi Mosque to non-Jewish visitors until 10/24 for the Sukkot holiday. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct a raid in Qatabiya village nr. Jenin, sparking minor clashes with stone-throwing residents; 2 Palestinians are injured. They also arrest 4 Palestinians during raids nr. Nablus and Hebron; and patrol nr. Hebron during the day. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinians picking olives nr. Nablus, causing no serious injuries. In East Jerusalem, a large number of Israeli forces deploy across Silwan after unidentified assailants throw Molotov cocktails at a settler home in the neighborhood. In Israel, around 1,200 bedouins gather outside the Ramat Hanegev council building to protest Israel’s ongoing evacuation and demolition of their homes. Their village, Bir Hadaj, is partially unrecognized, and part of it is slated for destruction in the context of the Israeli plan to redevelop the Negev. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya and Gaza City, causing no injuries or damage. (HA, MNA, WAFA 10/16; WAFA 10/19; PCHR 10/20)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for passage in both directions for the 2d of 2 planned days. (MNA 10/16)

In a 2d day of cross-border violence, Palestinians fire mortar shells at Israeli patrols along Gaza’s s. and n. borders in 3 separate incidents, causing no injuries or damage. Hamas will take credit for at least 1 of the shellings. Israeli forces launch artillery shells at the 3 sources of shelling and conduct at least 5 air strikes in s. Gaza, causing damage and no injuries. After the day’s violence, the IDF declares a region nr. the border a closed military zone and, according to Palestinian sources, IDF troops conduct unspecified operations along the border in Rafah and nr. Jabaliya r.c. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids and house searches in and around Hebron and nr. Bethlehem, arresting 6 Palestinians; patrols nr. Hebron. Israeli forces deliver a stop-work order to a Palestinian home under construction in Hebron. Israeli settlers attack a group of Palestinian schoolchildren in c. Hebron, causing no injuries, and assault a Palestinian activist nr. al-Ibrahimi Mosque, causing moderate injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians during raids and patrols in Issawiyya and al-Tur. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish 2 homes in bedouin communities in the Negev and nr. Lydda. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 5/4; MNA, TOI 5/5; OCHA 5/6; PCHR 5/12)

Israeli PM Netanyahu’s office says that DM Ya’alon and Public Security Minister Erdan have been authorized, as of 5/1, to decide whether or not to return the bodies of Palestinians killed in confrontations with the IDF and Israeli police. This statement reverses Netanyahu’s decision, on 3/27, ordering Ya’alon not to return any bodies. (HA, YA 5/4)

The PLO Exec. Comm. decides to start implementing the PA’s threat to limit security coordination with the IDF if the “current situation” continues. PASF troops are instructed to implement the decision “under supervision of the Palestinian political echelon” and security agencies will decide how quickly to implement it. (MNA 5/7)

In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct late-night raids nr. Tulkarm, Ramallah, and Jericho, arresting 4 Palestinians, and patrol during the day in Tulkarm, nr. Jericho, Qalqilya, and Hebron. Off Gaza’s s. coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats overnight, injuring 1 fisherman (3 others are arrested and 2 boats are confiscated). In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault a group of Palestinian youths in Ras al-Amud, injuring 1. In Israel, Israeli forces destroy the bedouin village al-‘Araqib in the Negev for the 97th time. Meanwhile, around 2,000 Israelis gather in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to demonstrate in support of Azaria, the Israeli soldier who shot and killed a detained Palestinian on 3/24. (EI, MNA, WAFA 4/19; PCHR 4/21)

Following Jordan’s 4/18 announcement that it is no longer planning to support the installation of cameras at Haram al-Sharif, an Israeli official says that “Israel’s support [for the initiative] remains unchanged.” (TOI 4/19)

Marking the 40th anniversary of Land Day, Palestinian citizens of Israel (PCI) conduct a general strike throughout the Galilee and Negev, and hold a protest in the bedouin village Umm al-Hiran, which the Israeli govt. is planning to raze. IDF troops violently disperse demonstrations commemorating Land Day in Ramallah, Jenin, and along Gaza’s border nr. the Erez border crossing; there are no serious injuries. They also shoot tear gas canisters at Palestinian mourners marching in a funeral procession in Aida r.c. nr. Bethlehem; conduct a late-night house search in al-Am‘ari r.c. nr. Ramallah, arresting 2 Palestinians; and patrol during the day in 4 villages nr. Hebron. Israeli forces carry out a partial punitive demolition of the interior walls of the Hebron home of a Palestinian killed on 12/7/2015 in a confrontation with Israeli troops. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian youth at Haram al-Sharif after he raises a Palestinian flag at the sanctuary. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 3/30; JP, MNA, PCHR, WAFA 3/31; PCHR 4/7)

The head of Gaza’s fishermen’s union says that the Israeli authorities recently agreed to expand the unilaterally defined fishing zone allotted for Gazans by 3 mi. in some places, starting in 4/2016. An IDF spokesperson does not comment on the report. (MNA 3/30)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian in the Old City after she allegedly draws a knife with the intent to stab 1 of them. Israeli police shoot and kill a 2d Palestinian nr. the Old City after he opens fire on them with an automatic weapon, injuring 2 (1 seriously). Israeli forces then raid the alleged attacker’s home in Issawiyya, issue arrest summons to his father and uncle, take measurements in preparation for possible punitive demolition, and spark minor clashes with stone-throwing youths. In Israel, Israeli police shoot and kill a 3d Palestinian nr. Petah Tikva after he allegedly stabs and moderately injures an Israeli; shoot and kill a 4th Palestinian in Jaffa after he stabs several people, killing 1 U.S. citizen and injuring at least 10 Israelis (5 seriously). Later, a video of the incident in Jaffa circulates on social media, apparently showing an Israeli police officer shooting the Palestinian attacker execution-style. After the attacks in Petah Tikva and Jaffa, the IDF seals the Qalqilya and Salfit-area villages of the alleged attackers, blocking residents from entering or exiting. (HA, INT, JP, MNA, NYT 3/8; PCHR 3/10)

Elsewhere, Israeli forces confiscate a tractor from a village nr. Nablus and level farmland outside a bedouin village in the Negev. They also conduct raids nr. Hebron, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Jericho, Tulkarm, and Jenin, as well as in 1 neighborhood in East Jerusalem, arresting 16 Palestinians and demolishing some property; patrol in 4 villages nr. Hebron. Israeli settlers raze a large area of land nr. Bethlehem. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 3/8; PCHR 3/10)

U.S. VP Joe Biden arrives in Israel, meets with former Israeli pres. Shimon Peres in Jaffa, and pledges “total, unvarnished commitment” to Israel. Meanwhile, a White House official denies a 3/7 Wall Street Journal report that the Obama admin. plans to change policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: “There has been no change to our policy or strategy with regard to this issue.” (HA, JTA, TOI 3/8; JP 3/9)

In Otniel settlement nr. Hebron, a Palestinian stabs and kills an Israeli settler, then flees the scene. The IDF then sets up mobile checkpoints and roadblocks in the area; conducts house searches and raids in a nearby village. IDF troops conduct further late-night raids and house searches in Hebron and 3 villages nearby, as well as 1 village each nr. Ramallah, Salfit, and Tulkarm, arresting 20 Palestinians and confiscating 2 vehicles; patrols in 2 villages each nr. Jericho and Ramallah, 1 nr. Tulkarm, and 5 villages and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron. Israeli forces demolish a livestock structure nr. Qalqilya late at night; when the Palestinian owner protests, they shoot and injure him and his brother, then arrest his other brother. They also demolish a garage and damage a quarry in villages nr. Ramallah, displacing 2 Palestinians who were living in the former. Off Gaza’s s. coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries or damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault 2 Palestinians and arrest 5 others on raids in Abu Dis and the Old City. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 1/17; MNA, YA 1/18; PCHR 1/21)

Israel’s High Court of Justice rejects a petition to block the Israeli govt.’s demolition of Umm al-Hiran, a bedouin village in the Negev, exhausting the residents’ legal options. (JP 1/18)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish 5 bedouin Palestinian residential structures in the E1 area nr. Jerusalem, displacing 26 bedouins; begin leveling land s. of Bethlehem in preparation for the construction of a military tower. The IDF conducts late-night raids and house searches in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, Tulkarm r.c., and 1 village each nr. Salfit and Ramallah, arresting 10 Palestinians; patrols in 4 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police raid the International Comm. of the Red Cross office overnight, arresting 6 Palestinian activists who have been staging a sit-in in protest of the Israeli orders to deport 2 of them. Israeli forces demolish 2 Palestinian homes in Silwan; arrest a Palestinian at Haram al-Sharif; arrest 2 Palestinians during late-night raids in Jabal Mukabir and al-‘Izzariya. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian bedouin mosque in a so-called unrecognized village in the Negev. (HA, MNA 1/6; PCHR, WAFA 1/7; HA, MNA 1/8; PCHR 1/14)

The Israeli press reports that DM Moshe Ya’alon has approved, in recent weeks, the Gush Etzion settlement’s request to incorporate a nearby property into its municipality. (HA, JP, TOI 1/6)

Nr. Beersheba, Israeli forces demolish bedouin homes in al-‘Araqib for the 91st time since 7/27/2010. The Israeli authorities continue demolishing al-‘Araqib as part of their ongoing effort to make room for Jewish Israeli settlement of the Negev. Around 400 residents remain in the village, using generators and solar panels to subsist without any Israeli infrastructural support. (MNA 11/26)

As Israel continues its crackdown in the oPt, IDF troops kill a total of 3 Palestinians throughout the day. IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian youth during clashes sparked by an overnight raid in Qatanna n. of Jerusalem. After the funeral for the Palestinian victim, IDF troops violently disperse stone-throwers and protesters, injuring 5 Palestinians. IDF troops shoot and seriously injure a Palestinian at Tapuach Junction s. of Nablus after he allegedly attempts to stab Israeli settlers. The Palestinian succumbs to his injuries while the IDF is delaying a crew of Palestinian medical technicians access to him, according to witnesses. A 3d Palestinian is killed when stone-throwers clash with Israeli soldiers at an entrance to al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron. Nr. Ramallah, IDF vehicles ram a Palestinian car suspected of avoiding a checkpoint, sparking clashes with stone-throwers; a number of Palestinians are injured and the 3 Palestinians in the car are assaulted and arrested. IDF troops violently clash with Palestinian protesters s. of Hebron, w. of Qalqilya, and at Palestine Technical University in Tulkarm; at least 13 Palestinians are injured. Nr. Hebron, residents of al-Fawar r.c. obstruct Israeli forces attempting to raid the camp, sparking clashes in which 2 Palestinians are injured. Meanwhile, the IDF conducts further raids and house searches s. of Hebron and in Nablus, arresting 3 Palestinians; patrols in 4 villages nr. Hebron and 1 nr. Tulkarm. Israeli forces demolish a number of residential structures and confiscate 7 residential tents in the Jordan Valley; bulldoze an agricultural structure nr. Hebron; seize 8 buses from a transportation company overnight in Nablus on the grounds that they were used to transport Palestinian youths to nearby demonstrations. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct raids and searches in Issawiyya, arresting 2 Palestinians; arrest 1 Palestinian outside Haram al-Sharif. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 11/26; PCHR 12/3)

Fanning the flames across East Jerusalem, at least 20 Israeli settlers escorted by Israeli forces overtake a building in Silwan, claiming that the settler organization Ateret Cohanim had purchased it. A Palestinian man refuses to leave his apartment, so the settlers only move into 4 of the 5 floors. Later, Israeli forces close off a main street in al-Tur nr. the site of a firebomb attack on 8/26. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian attempting to cross into Israel e. of Khan Yunis. Egyptian authorities allow the body of a Palestinian who recently died in an Egyptian hospital to be returned home through the Rafah border crossing. In the West Bank, IDF troops patrol in a village nr. Ramallah, sparking minor clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths and arresting 1 Palestinian. They also conduct house searches and raids nr. Qalqilya, issuing 1 Palestinian an arrest summons. Israeli forces demolish 4 buildings in Israeli settlement outposts nr. Nablus and arrest 3 settlers protesting the demolitions. In Israel, dozens of Palestinians gather nr. the bedouin village Umm al-Hiran in the Negev to protest the preconstruction phases of 2 Israeli Jewish towns, which Israeli forces began on 8/23. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 8/27; HA, MNA 8/28; PCHR 9/3)

Palestinian UN envoys formally submit a UN General Assembly (UNGA) res. that would allow non-mbr. observer states—Palestine and the Vatican—to display their flags at the UN’s headquarters and offices. (AP, REU, YA 8/26; JP 8/27; AFP 8/28) Senior PA official Azzam al-Ahmad announces that the PNC will convene in Ramallah on 9/15–16 to elect a new PLO Exec. Comm. and discuss the absence of peace negotiations with Israel. (AFP, HA, JP, MNA, TOI 8/27; MNA 8/29) 

Israel begins constructing infrastructure for 2 Israeli Jewish towns at the contested site of the bedouin village Umm al-Hiran in the Negev, where residents are being forcibly relocated to a nearby village. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians nr. Bethlehem protesting Israeli settlement activity in the area, injuring 11 Palestinians. They also conduct late-night raids and house searches nr. Tulkarm, Ramallah, and Hebron, arresting 5 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 1; patrol nr. Hebron, Jericho, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces deny a group of Palestinian women access to Haram al-Sharif and arrest a Palestinian at an entrance to the sanctuary. (MNA, WAFA 8/23; MNA 8/24; MNA, PCHR 8/27)

Overnight in the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and critically injure a Palestinian man with live ammunition during clashes sparked by a raid in a village nr. Jenin; he will succumb to his injuries later in the day. Late at night, IDF troopsshoot and kill another Palestinian during a raid of his home in a village nr. Hebron. Israeli forces destroy 450 olive trees, a Romanera well, and level land outside Hebron; deliver stop-work orders to 5 Palestinian homes under construction in a village nr. Qalqilya; patrol in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm and 1 nr. Ramallah during the day. The IDF conducts late-night raids in 2 villages nr. Hebron, Tulkarm and 1 nearby village, 2 villages nr. Nablus, and in Qalqilya and Jenin, arresting 11 Palestinians and assaulting 1. In East Jerusalem, dozens of right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif under an Israeli police escort; 3 Palestinians are detained at exits to the sanctuary. In s. Israel, Israeli forces demolish 2 homes in bedouin villages in the Negev. (AFP, HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 7/22; PCHR 7/30)

The European Council on Foreign Relations, an influential think tank, publishes a report on EU policy toward Israel. It proposes labeling of settlement produce in addition to other measures meant to discourage settlement growth, including sanctions against Israeli banks. After the report is published, the stock prices of 4 major Israeli banks drop in value, leading a senior EU official to say, “We have no intention of imposing restrictions on Israeli banks.” (+972, ECFR, HA, JP, MNA, REU, TOI 7/22; MEMO, REU, TOI, YA 7/23)

On 2 occasions off Gaza’s coast nr. Jabaliya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, damaging 1. In the West Bank, IDF troops assault and moderately injure a Palestinian man nr. Bethlehem and assault another Palestinian attempting to cross into Israel nr. Jerusalem. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in and around Ramallah, and in Nablus, ‘Aqabat Jabir r.c. nr. Jericho, and 1 village each nr. Hebron and Tulkarm, arresting 10 Palestinians, issuing arrest summons to 1, confiscating around NIS 4,300 (around $1,100), and destroying a door. The IDF patrols during the day in 1 village each nr. Jenin and Hebron. An Israeli settler rams a Palestinian man with a car nr. Nablus, injuring him. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinian youths on late-night raids in Bayt Hanina. (AFP, MNA, WAFA 6/8; PCHR 6/11)

PA PM Hamdallah and EU rep. to the PA John Gatt-Rutter, along with a delegation of EU officials, visit Susiya village in the s. Hebron hills to show support for the village’s 340 residents. On 5/4, Israel’s Supreme Court upheld the govt.’s plans to evacuate and demolish the village, denying a petition from activists and residents. Gatt-Rutter calls on Israel to reverse its demolition plans. Meanwhile, the bedouin residents of Umm al-Hiran, a village in the Negev, file another petition to Israel’s Supreme Court, appealing the court’s 5–4 rejection of their previous petition that called for a reprieve from the state’s planned evacuation and demolition of their village. (JP 6/8; JP, JTA, HA 6/9)

The UN releases its “List of Shame,” or blacklist, documenting known violators of children’s rights but excluding Israel and Hamas. Secy.-Gen. Ban excluded Israel and Hamas despite official requests from the PA, in the case of the former, and various international organizations, the U.S., and Israel, in the case of the latter. (EI, NYT 6/8; HA, MNA 6/9)