The Palestine Chronology

Along Gaza’s border, unidentified Palestinians detonate an IED targeting an Israeli bulldozer, causing no damage or injuries. Israeli tanks then shell a number of “resistance sites” in Gaza City, according to the Gaza-based Ministry of Health; 1 Palestinian is moderately injured. Later, unidentified Palestinians open fire on an Israeli home along the border, causing minor damage. The IAF then conducts retaliatory air strikes in northern Gaza late at night, killing 1 member of Hamas and injuring another. Separately, IDF snipers shoot and injure 2 Palestinians along the border in unclear circumstances, and fire on Palestinian agricultural lands near Gaza City and Bayt Hanun, causing no damage. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 13 Palestinians and issue 2 arrest summons during late-night raids near Jenin, Tubas, Nablus, Hebron, and Bethlehem. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 4/11; HA, MNA, PCHR, WAFA, YA 4/12; PCHR 4/19)

The Jerusalem Municipality announces that Guatemala plans to open its new embassy in the city on 5/16, 2 days after the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem is set to open. (TOI 4/11)

In the West Bank, IDF troops block Palestinian farmers from working their fields outside Ni‘lin. They also arrest 12 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Nablus, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, and Ramallah, and patrol near Hebron. Israeli settlers uproot about 40 olive trees outside Jit village near Qalqilya and throw stones at a Palestinian home in Hebron, causing no serious damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 4 Palestinians during late-night raids in al-Tur and Issawiyya. (MNA, WAFA 10/29; PCHR 11/2)

Israeli PM Netanyahu postpones a Ministerial Committee for Legislation vote planned for today on the so-called Greater Jerusalem Bill, which would strengthen the relationship between the Jerusalem Municipality and the nearby Israeli settlements in the West Bank. “The current version of the [. . .] bill invites international pressure and involves difficult legal issues,” explains a senior official in the governing coalition. “[Netanyahu] cannot allow himself to advance this version at this time.” (HA, TOI 10/29; ALM 10/30)

In Ramallah, Israel’s finance minister Moshe Kahlon meets with PA PM Hamdallah for the 2d time in 6 months. The meeting stems from reported U.S. pressure on Israel to continue to work on agreements with the PA that would strengthen the Palestinian economy. (HA, TOI 10/30)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces erect an iron gate at the entrance to a Palestinian cemetery near Bethlehem. IDF troops arrest 6 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Jenin, Nablus, and Tulkarm, and patrol in and around Hebron and Nablus. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian farmers harvesting olives outside Dayr Nizam village near Ramallah. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmland near Bayt Hanun, causing no damage or injuries. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. In the Negev, Israeli forces demolish the Palestinian Bedouin village al-Araqib for the 120th time since 2010. (MNA, WAFA 10/25; PCHR 10/26; PCHR 11/2)

The Jerusalem Municipality and Jerusalem District Council issue building permits for 176 new housing units in Nof Zion, an Israeli settlement inside Jabal Mukabir. If this construction goes forward, Nof Zion would be the largest Israeli settlement inside a Palestinian neighborhood in Jerusalem. (HA, TOI 10/25)

During a meeting with settler leaders, Israeli PM Netanyahu promises to invest NIS 800 million (approximately $230 million) in roads and other infrastructure development in the West Bank, starting in 2018. The settler leaders’ reaction is mixed. While some welcome the pledge, others are dubious, including Samaria Regional Council chair Yossi Dagan, who says, “We are fed up with promises and spin.” (TOI, YA 10/25; HA 10/26)

In Texas, U.S. VP Mike Pence announces that he will visit Israel and the oPt soon in an effort to promote Pres. Trump’s peace initiative. (HA, YA 10/26)

IDF troops conduct raids in Nablus, arresting 3 Palestinians and sparking minor clashes; 2 Palestinians are shot and injured. They also conduct overnight raids in Jenin r.c., arresting 2 Hamas affiliates and sparking a brief firefight; 1 Israeli soldier and 3 Palestinians are injured. Additional IDF raids in Abud village nr. Ramallah spark more clashes. No one is seriously hurt, and the IDF closes the village’s main entrance. After reports of stone-throwing outside Beita village nr. Nablus, the IDF seals the village’s main entrance (they will unseal it on 1/30). The IDF arrests 8 Palestinians on late-night raids nr. Qalqilya, Hebron, and Ramallah, and patrols nr. Hebron and Nablus during the day. Israeli forces uproot 500 olive trees nr. Hebron. An armed Palestinian opens fire on IDF troops nr. Qalqilya, causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid in Qalandia r.c. and demolish 13 residential and agricultural buildings in bedouin communities nr. al-‘Izzariya. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. al-Qarara. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 1/26; WAFA 1/30; PCHR 2/2)

The Jerusalem Municipality advances plans for 153 settler residences in Gilo, East Jerusalem. A municipal official says that the plans were held up for political reasons until U.S. pres. Obama left office on 1/20. (TOI 1/26)

Two Palestinians die in a tunnel accident late at night nr. Gaza City. Hamas claims the 2 men were mbrs. of its group. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish 2 Palestinian car washes n. of Jerusalem. IDF troops arrest 12 Palestinians and issue 4 arrest summons during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Hebron, Jenin, and Tulkarm, and patrol nr. Hebron and Nablus during the day. In and around East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians during raids in Hizma village and Qalandia r.c. Late at night, they conduct raids in Shu‘fat r.c., sparking minor clashes with stone-throwing residents; there are no serious injuries. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish 2 homes in a bedouin village nr. Beersheba. An Israeli driver rams a Palestinian worker from Tulkarm while he is walking along a street in Tel Aviv, causing moderate injuries. (MNA, WAFA, YA 12/7; MNA, PCHR 12/8; PCHR 12/15)

A Jerusalem Municipality planning comm. approves the construction of 770 settler residences in the Gilo settlement in East Jerusalem. City officials say that the plans, initially approved in 2013, were “undergoing routine processes of allocation regarding roads and public spaces.” (MNA 12/9)

Israel’s Knesset passes a 1st reading of the new draft of the so-called regulations bill, which passed a preliminary reading on 12/5 and would retroactively authorize illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 12/7; MNA 12/8)

A senior Israeli official says that Israeli PM Netanyahu has rejected French pres. François Hollande’s invitation to a mediated meeting with PA pres. Abbas after the next French-organized peace summit, which is set for 12/21. Later, Netanyahu calls Hollande personally to discuss the invitation. He tells the French pres. that he would be happy to meet with Abbas, but only if the conference is canceled. (HA, JP, YA 12/7)

In the West Bank, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops conduct an early morning raid in Ramallah, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths; 3 Palestinians are injured. The IDF arrests 8 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Bethlehem, and Tulkarm; and patrols nr. Jenin, Ramallah, and Hebron. Along Gaza’s border, the Israeli authorities prevent a truck from passing through the Kerem Shalom border crossing on the grounds that it contains materials that could be used to build rockets. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Jabaliya refugee camp (r.c.), causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 6 Palestinians during late-night raids in Jabal Mukabir and Issawiyya. (MNA 11/16; PCHR 11/17; PCHR 11/24)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for the 3d of 5 planned days. (MNA 11/16; OCHA 12/2)

Israel’s Knesset passes the 1st reading of the so-called regulations bill, which would retroactively authorize Israeli settlement outposts in the West Bank. Meanwhile, in response to the Israeli High Court of Justice’s 11/14 reaffirmation of its evacuation order for the illegal Amona settlement outpost, the Jerusalem Municipality approves demolition orders for 14 Palestinian homes in Bayt Hanina. Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat says that thousands of Palestinian homes in Jerusalem lack proper permits and should be held to the same standard as Amona, adding that “the Amona verdict leaves us no discretion to legalize building offenses.” (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 11/16; JP, MNA 11/17)

The Jerusalem Municipality issues stopwork orders to the Islamic Waqf, which is building restrooms in the n. section of Haram al-Sharif ahead of Ramadan. The municipality decides not to permit the construction of a new settler building in Silwan. Sources in the PM’s office say that Netanyahu pressured Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat to halt the settlement construction and, in return, issued the stopwork order to the Islamic Waqf to appease Barkat. (MNA, WAFA 5/31; PCHR 6/2)

Israeli forces arrest 44 Palestinians during raids and house searches across East Jerusalem. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on 2 Palestinian fishing boats nr. Gaza City, injuring 1 fisherman, arresting 4 fishermen, and confiscating the 2 boats. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Bayt Hanun. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 6 Palestinians during a latenight raid in Qalqilya, sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents; 2 Palestinians are injured. They also patrol nr. Hebron and Qalqilya throughout the day. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 5/31; HA, WAFA 6/1; PCHR 6/2)

An Israeli is stabbed and injured in the Old City. Israeli police later arrest a Palestinian youth who allegedly admits to carrying out the attack (they will arrest another Palestinian in connection to the attack later that night), and temporarily close all entrances to the Old City. Elsewhere in East Jerusalem, the Israeli authorities announce that they will be reopening a gate along the separation wall for the 1st time in 7 years, allowing Palestinian residents of al-Ram village access to the city. Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians during raids and patrols in the Old City and Issawiyya. A Palestinian family demolishes their own 3 stores in Silwan, to avoid paying for the Jerusalem Municipality’s demolition crew. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Gaza City; open fire on Palestinian farmers working in the area. Off the coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish an agricultural structure nr. Qalqilya. IDF troops conduct raids and house searches in Tulkarm, nr. Ramallah, Hebron, and Jenin, arresting 5 Palestinians; patrol nr. Ramallah, Hebron, and Qalqilya. (MNA, WAFA 5/2; JP, TOI 5/3; PCHR 5/5)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis open fire on Palestinians nr. the border fence gathering to commemorate Land Day, injuring 2. In the West Bank, thousands of Palestinians gather in several villages and cities for Land Day; IDF troops violently disperse protests in villages nr. Nablus and Ramallah, causing a number of Palestinians to suffer tear gas inhalation. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in 2 villages nr. Hebron, 1 nr. Jenin, and Tulkarm, arresting 4 Palestinians; patrols in 5 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 nr. Jericho, and al-‘Arub r.c. and 1 village nr. Hebron. Israeli forces deliver demolition notices to 7 Palestinian-owned agricultural structures and water wells in a village nr. Nablus and to 7 residential structures in a village nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently disperse Palestinians marching through the Old City to commemorate Land Day, injuring 1 and arresting 2. They also arrest 3 Palestinians at Haram al-Sharif, 3 in the Old City, and 1 during a house search in Silwan. Meanwhile, Palestinian citizens of Israel gather in Jerusalem, Dayr Hanna in the Galilee, and Rahat in the Negev to commemorate Land Day, but the Arab High Follow-Up Comm. does not call for a general strike as it did in 2014. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 3/30; YA 3/31; PCHR 4/2)

The Jerusalem Municipality announces that it has approved tenders to build 142 new residences in the Har Homa settlement in East Jerusalem. Also, the Interior Ministry’s District Planning and Building Comm. approves a plan to construct over 2,200 new residences for Palestinians in Jabal Mukabir, East Jerusalem, and to retroactively approve hundreds that have already been built in the neighborhood. (WAFA 3/30; TOI 3/31; HA 4/1)

The PA Ministry of Civil Affairs announces that it will be providing 1 year of financial support to the approximately 15,000 Palestinian families in Gaza whose homes were destroyed during OPE. The project will be funded by international donors, primarily Arab League mbrs., and will grant families between NIS 1,000 and 1,500 per mo. ($250 to $378). (MNA, WAFA 3/30)

A bipartisan group of 4 U.S. senators sends a letter to Pres. Obama stating their opposition to the admin.’s reported reassessment of its policies regarding Israel and the possible end of U.S. support of Israel in international institutions, such as the UN. (TOI 3/31)

In the n. Gaza Strip, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian civilians on the shore nr. the border fence, wounding 1. Off the coast of the Gaza Strip nr. al-Sudaniyya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries or damage. In the West Bank, a Palestinian man dies from excessive tear gas inhalation. He was hospitalized after sustaining injuries in his own home while the IDF was raiding Abu Dis on 5/23. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Tulkarm, Tubas, and 1 village each nr. Hebron and Jenin at night; patrols in Hebron and 1 nearby village, and 1 village nr. Bethlehem in the afternoon, and in 2 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron at night. Jewish settlers cut down 30 almond and olive trees nr. Nablus. (MNA, WAFA 5/26; PCHR 5/29)

Jerusalem municipality approves 50 new housing units in 5 buildings in Har Homa, East Jerusalem. PA spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudayna says the decision is “immoral, illogical, and uncivilized.” (AFP, JP 5/26)

In Egypt, polls open on the 1st of 2 days scheduled for the presidential election. Former head of the Egyptian armed forces Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who resigned from the military in 3/2014, is widely expected to win a clear majority. (AJ 5/26)

In the Gaza Strip, an Egyptian-brokered truce between Israel and Islamic Jihad is secured. A leader of the Palestinian group, Khaled al-Batsh, writes on Facebook that “intensive Egyptian contacts and efforts” mean a restoration of “the agreement for calm . . . in accordance with understandings reached [on 11/21/12] in Cairo,” a reference to the end of Operation Pillar of Defense. Hamas Dep. FM Ghazi Hamad says that Egypt deliberately ignored the govt. in Gaza and communicated directly with Islamic Jihad, a claim corroborated by an anonymous Egyptian security official. Following the cease-fire, the Popular Resistance Cmte. (PRC) fires 8 rockets into s. Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In response, the Israeli air force conducts air strikes against 4 sites in Rafah and Jabaliya, targeting a PRC training camp and Izzeddin alQassam Brigades sites, causing damage but no injuries, except in Rafah, where 3 civilians are injured. In the West Bank, IDF troops wound 2 Palestinians during a clash with mourners at a funeral in Bayt Umar nr. Hebron. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon; patrols in 3 villages, al-‘Arub r.c. and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron at night. (AFP, HA, MNA, REU, WAFA 13/3; PCHR 3/20)

Israeli science minister Yaakov Peri says that unless Palestinians agree to an extension of peace talks, it would be difficult for Israel to go ahead with a scheduled 4th prisoner release. Israeli FM Lieberman says that “negotiations should be extended to the end of the year at least.” Separately, Israeli authorities approve construction permits for 387 housing units in Ramat Shlomo settlement in East Jerusalem, part of the 1,500 unit-plan approved in 2/2012 by the Jerusalem municipality. Meanwhile, U.S. Secy. of State Kerry tells the House Foreign Relations Cmte. that PM Netanyahu’s insistence on a public statement of recognition from the Palestinians of Israel as a Jewish state is “a mistake.” (AIC, AFP 3/13; JP 3/14)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the afternoon and in 1 village each nr. Ramallah and Salfit at night, patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin and 1 village each nr. Jericho, Ramallah and Tulkarm in the morning, in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm and 1 village each nr. Jenin and Salfit at night. Israeli bulldozers level privately-owned Palestinian land nr. Nablus to enlarge an illegal settlement outpost. In Jerusalem, dozens of right-wing Jewish activists enter the al-Aqsa compound and held discussions on the possibility of building a Jewish temple there. (MNA 8/25, PCHR 8/29)

The Jerusalem Municipality approves a budget for a NIS 62.4 million extension of the Ramat Shlomo settlement, adding some 1,600 housing units. Other projects approved include a NIS 20 million budget for developing a national park at the settlerowned “City of David” project in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan. Half of that latter budget will come from the prime minister’s office. Meanwhile, Israel’s Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel dedicates 2 new neighborhoods of 160 homes in the West Bank settlement Keddumim and says that a two-state solution will never happen. (AP, HA, JP 8/25)

Israel’s cabinet unanimously approves the appointment of Yossi Cohen as the new head of the National Security Council (NSC). Cohen, who spent 3 decades working for Mossad, replaces Yaakov Amidror. (YA 8/25)

Syria agrees to allow UN inspectors to visit the site of a suspected chemical weapons attack in Ghouta, a Damascus suburb. The U.S. State Dept. says that Secy. of State John Kerry told his counterparts in Britain, France, Russia, and Canada in a round of phone calls that there is “very little doubt” the Syrian govt. is responsible for gassing its own citizens. An unnamed administration official tells the media that despite this near certainty in Washington, the pres. still hasn’t decided how to respond. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexander Lukashevich says that the U.S. and its allies should await the findings of the UN inspection team and avoid military action. (AP, REU, 8/25)

Three leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, including the organization’s Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie did not appear in court on the 1st day of their separate trials, apparently due to security reasons. The judge adjourns proceedings until 10/29. The charges are of inciting lethal violence during the events leading up to the military coup. (REU 8/25)

Israel releases 26 Palestinian prisoners, prompting celebrations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Jerusalem municipality approves 942 settlement units for Gilo. (AFP, AP 8/13)

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians fire 2 rockets with one falling within the territory and the other landing in s. Israel but causing no damage or injuries. In response, the IDF launches an air strike at night, with no reported injuries or damage. Off the coast of the Gaza Strip, Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen, injuring 3. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 3 villages nr. Ramallah, 2 villages nr. Nablus, and 1 village nr. Bethlehem at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Bethlehem at night. (JP, PNN 8/13; PCHR 8/15)

Israel releases 26 Palestinian prisoners, prompting celebrations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including fireworks and small rallies. Eleven of those released are welcomed by Pres. Abbas in his presidential compound in Ramallah, while 15 were released directly to the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem municipality approves 942 settlement units for Gilo. (AFP, AP 8/13)

Palestinian pres. Mahmud Abbas asks caretaker PM Rami Hamdallah to form a new govt., a task he has 5 weeks to complete. (MNA 8/13)

An Iron Dome anti-missile battery successfully intercepts a rocket launched from the Sinai apparently targeting Eilat. (HA 8/13)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 2 villages nr. Nablus, Tulkarm, 1 village nr. Hebron, 1 village nr. Ramallah, 1 village nr. Bethlehem and Aida r.c. in Bethlehem at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah and 1 village nr. Bethlehem in the morning, in 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Jericho and 1 village nr. Ramallah at night. Meanwhile, Jewish settlers set fire to Palestinian-owned land nr. Nablus. (WAFA 6/30; PCHR 7/4)

U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry makes one more visit to Ramallah in the morning, holding brief talks with Palestinian pres. Mahmud Abbas, their 3d meeting in 3 days. Afterward, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat says that there had been no breakthrough. Kerry, speaking to reporters in Ben-Gurion Airport on his way to Brunei, sounds a more positive note and cites unspecified “real progress.” Kerry departs after 4 days and 13 total hours of talks with Abbas and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Netanyahu tells a cabinet meeting that any future agreement with the Palestinians will be submitted for approval in a national referendum. (AFP, HA 6/30)

Israeli media reports that the Jerusalem Municipality will advance plans to build 930 new housing units in Har Homa settlement, a development that Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat condemns in a Ramallah press conference. (JP 6/30)

Millions of demonstrators take to the streets across Egypt on a planned day of protest against the govt. of Pres. Mohamed Morsi. As night falls, violent clashes break out between opponents and supporters of Morsi, resulting in 4 deaths. Assailants storm the Cairo headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood, setting it on fire. (REU, WP 6/30)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 3 villages nr. Hebron, Tulkarm, and 1 nearby village, Nablus, Tubas, and 1 village nr. Ramallah at night; patrols in Jenin and 1 nearby village, and 1 village each in Bethlehem and Hebron. Jewish settlers attack Palestinian-owned vehicles nr. Nablus, causing damage but no injuries. Settlers also set fire to olive trees nr. Hawara village. (MNA 6/26; PCHR 6/27)

The Israeli army reopens Kerem Shalom and Erez border crossings into the Gaza Strip, closed on 6/23 as a punitive measure following rocket fire. (AFP 6/26)

The Jerusalem municipality approves construction permits for 69 new homes in East Jerusalem settlement Har Homa, a day before U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry is due to arrive for talks in Israel and the West Bank. (AFP, JP 6/26)

UNESCO’s World Heritage Cmte. in Phnom Penh passes a Jordanian-sponsored resolution in an 8–3–10 vote condemning Israeli actions in Jerusalem, such as developments of the Western Wall and Temple Mount site, and resolving to maintain the places of the Old City and Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on its World Heritage Sites in Danger list. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticizes the resolution, saying it is a “dark day for UNESCO.” (ToI 6/26)

Austria completes the withdrawal of its UNDOF peacekeepers from the Golan Heights, with the remaining 70 departing via Israel. (HA 6/26)

Unidentified gunmen kidnap 2 Egyptian police officers in the s. Sinai, reportedly in revenge for an earlier assault on a Bedouin man by a police officer during a dispute at a petrol station. (Ahram 6/26)

Unidentified Israeli officials tell the Jerusalem Post that unofficial, informal talks under EU auspices are taking place between Israeli and Palestinian academics and former political and military leaders. These discrete dialogues are looking at final-status issues like Jerusalem in order to come up with recommendations for steps that could be taken by both sides. (JP, REU 1/8)

Israel’s Jerusalem municipality demolishes a Palestinian home in Silwan in East Jerusalem on the basis that it was built without a permit. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c. nr. Nablus, and 1 village nr. Bethlehem at night. (WAFA 1/8; PCHR 1/10)

Israel’s education min. Gideon Sa’ar convenes an unscheduled meeting of the Council for Higher Education in order to officially endorse the university status of Ariel settlement’s college. Speaking at Ariel University on the same day, PM Netanyahu says the settlement will ‘‘always remain under Israeli sovereignty.’’ (HA, JP 1/8)

Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad says that the PA is on the verge of bankruptcy, but that he is not afraid of popular protests against the PA similar to those that took place in 9/2012 (see Quarterly Update in JPS 166). Fayyad points out that international aid to the PA dropped from $1.8 b. in 2008 to $1 b. in 2011. (JP 1/8)

PA pres. Abbas appoints the new leadership of the Fatah comm. in the Gaza Strip, a group tasked with increasing the movement’s membership in Gaza. (MNA 1/8)

A military court in Gaza City sentences Fatah military leader Zaki al-Sakani to 15 yrs. in jail on charges of terrorism and illegal possession of explosives and weapons. Fatah denounces the verdict. (MNA 1/8)

Pro-Asad Palestinian factions in Damascus call for a cease-fire after a month of fighting in Yarmuk r.c. A statement signed by the PFLP–GC, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Nidal Front says that Palestinians in Syria must remain ‘‘neutral.’’ (AJE, Guardian 1/8)

Israel’s Jerusalem municipality approves construction of 2,500 new housing units in Gilo settlement. Also in East Jerusalem, the IDF demolishes 5 residential tents and 5 sheds in the Arab al-Jahalin bedouin community e. of Jerusalem. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 5 wells and water and electricity networks in Bayt Qad village nr. Jenin (marking the 1st Israeli demolition in Area B in 2012). The IDF also patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Jericho and Salfit in the morning; in Qalqilya and 1 nearby village, and in 1 village each nr. Jericho and Ramallah in the afternoon; and in 1 village each nr. Jenin, Qalqilya, and Ramallah late at night. Jewish settlers fr. Eliezer settlement nr. Bethlehem steal fencing surrounding a plot of nearby Palestinian crop land, leaving leaflets taking credit for the action signed by the ‘‘Green Helmets.’’ In Gaza, 1 Palestinian is killed and 1 is injured in a smuggling tunnel collapse on the Rafah border. (PCHR 6/14; OCHA 6/15)

A Palestinian court convicts Muhammad Rashid, the former economic adviser to late PA pres. Yasir Arafat and political ally to Abbas adversary Muhammad Dahlan, of embezzling millions of dollars in public funds during Arafat’s rule. Rashid had been charged in 4/2012 by an independent Palestinian anticorruption commission created in 2010. While few if any Palestinians thought that Rashid (who has lived abroad for years and was convicted in absentia) was innocent, many saw the case against him as, in the words of Palestinian analyst Hani al-Masri (WP 6/21), ‘‘a reaction to a political dispute [with Abbas], not a continuous fight against corruption.’’ Other critics noted (WP 6/21) that the commission had been selective about the cases it chose to investigate, and that of the more than 80 cases it had investigated, few had led to charges against senior officials. (WP 6/21)

A French boat in the Freedom Flotilla II secretly departs Greece and is the first boat from the group to make it into international waters, headed toward Gaza. In the early afternoon, the IDF carries out air strikes on mbrs. of Tawhid and Jihad, a radical Islamist group that claims inspiration from al-Qa‘ida and is opposed to Hamas, as they prepare to launch a rocket fr. c. Gaza into Israel, killing 2 armed Palestinians and wounding 1. Late at night, the IDF carries out another air strike on armed Palestinians operating e. of Gaza City, lightly wounding 3. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus. Israel’s Jerusalem municipality approves construction of 900 new housing units in Gilo settlement in East Jerusalem. (HA, JTA, YA 7/5; JP, NYT, WP, WT 7/6; PCHR, WJW 7/7; OCHA 7/8)

Biden wraps up his trip to Israel with a big speech to the Israeli public at Tel Aviv University, underscoring American solidarity with Israel. He reiterates U.S. disapproval of the Ramat Shlomo housing plan because it “undermined the trust required for productive negotiations,” but accepts what he calls “significant” assurances from Netanyahu that the construction will not break ground for years, expressing hope that negotiations would “resolve this and other outstanding issues” before construction could begin. He then heads to Jordan. Separately, Netanyahu issues a statement apologizing for the “unfortunate timing” of the Ramat Shlomo announcement, but notably not apologizing for the construction itself. At the same time, Israel’s Jerusalem municipality announces plans to build 1,000s of settlement housing units e. and s. of Jerusalem in areas Israel intends to keep under final status, including 3,000 units each in Gilo and Givat Matosim, 1,500 units each in Har Homa and Pisgat Ze’ev, 1,200 units in Ramot, 600 in Armona Netseev, 450 in Neve Ya’acov, and 144 in Olive Mount. The U.S. does not comment. Abbas warns Biden by phone that the PA cannot start proximity talks until Israel reverses the construction approval. (JTA 3/11; NYT, WP, WT 3/12)

In Ramallah, at least 1 PA security official and 1 Fatah Central Comm. member take part in a ceremony in Ramallah naming a public square after Dalal Mughrabi, a 19-yr.-old Fatah member who in 1978 led a squad from Lebanon that sailed to Israel where they staged attacks killing 1 American and 38 Israelis before being shot dead; Netanyahu denounces the official Fatah and PA participation as incitement undermining the peace process. Late in the evening, the IDF patrols in Ramallah, firing rubber-coated steel bullets at stonethrowing Palestinian youths who confront them, causing no injuries; carries out latenight house searches in Jenin town and r.c., making no arrests. In Gaza, the littleknown Salafist group Ansar al-Sunna fires a Qassam rocket into Israel, causing no damage or injuries but marking the 1st incidence of rocket fire since 2/12. Later in the day, unidentified Palestinians fire 2 more Qassams toward Israel, but they land harmlessly inside Gaza. Late at night, the IDF makes an air strike on a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. Hamas authorities in Gaza release British journalist Paul Martin, held for 25 days on suspicion of security offenses (see 3/1). (NYT, YA 3/12; OCHA, PCHR 3/18)

IDF soldiers on the Gaza border fatally shoot an Islamic Jihad mbr. planting a roadside bomb nr. the border fence n. of Bayt Hanun, wounding 2 Palestinian farmers working a field nearby; troops briefly enter Gaza nr. Bayt Hanun to examine and dismantle the explosive device, but Israel says it was not meant as a breech of the cease-fire. The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Rafah, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF shoots, wounds a Palestinian attempting to circumvent the Awarta checkpoint nr. Nablus; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin (exchanging gunfire with Palestinian gunmen, leaving 1 IDF soldier injured) and in ‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, Nablus, Qalqilya. In addition, the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem issues demolition orders for a playground and six houses in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem on Palestinian land that has been sought by Jewish developers in order to build 30 homes, a synagogue, and a religious school for Jews only. In Rafah, 2 Palestinian children are injured when they accidentally trigger an unexploded IDF artillery shell. (Playgrounds for Palestine press release 4/4; PCHR, WP 4/5; OCHA 4/11; PCHR 4/12)

For the 2d day, IDF troops stationed in the Erez industrial zone fire at Palestinians collecting scrap metal nr. the border fence, wounding 1. Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abu Dis, Azariyya, Nablus, and Qabatya, in and around Hebron, and nr. Jenin, Tulkarm. Israel’s Local Committee at the Jerusalem Municipality submits plans to build 1,000 housing units in the East Jerusalem settlement of Har Homa. Plans reportedly are also being drafted to expand the Jewish settlements of Ramat Rachel, Mei Naftuah, New Arnona, Gilo, and Givat Hamatos. In Ramallah, unidentified assailants attempt to kidnap the acting mayor of al-Bireh; unknown gunmen fire on the offices of fmr. PA Finance M Salam Fayyad, causing no injuries; suspected Fatah mbrs. fire on 13 shops and offices run by Hamas mbrs., set fire to 1. In Gaza, 10,000s of Fatah supporters hold the largest Fatah rally since 1994 marking the 42d anniversary of the movement; speeches by Fatah leaders focus on rallying support for Fatah and against Hamas. (MM, YA 1/8; MM 1/9; OCHA 1/10; PCHR 1/11; OCHA 1/17)

The IDF arrests without charge Hamas’s chief West Bank spokesman Farhad Asad; raids an elementary school in Hebron, arresting a 12-yr.-old Palestinian for throwing stones; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus (firing on stone-throwing youths who confront the troops, wounding 6), in Jenin r.c., nr. Hebron. In a rare move, Israel’s Jerusalem Municipality approves 17 proposals for Arab construction in the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Bayt Hanina, Shu‘fat on approximately 1,000 d. of land; Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski calls the decision a “revolutionary step” that constitutes a “breakthrough” for Palestinian residents of the city. (JP 4/25; IMEMC, WP 4/26; PCHR 4/27)