The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling between Bethlehem and Hebron; 1 Palestinian child was injured by broken glass in his eye. Israeli settlers also uprooted dozens of Palestinian-owned olive saplings east of Yatta. Israeli forces opened fire at a vehicle with 5 Palestinians inside at a military checkpoint near Jenin, causing damage to the vehicle; no injuries were reported. 7 Palestinians were arrested in and around Hebron, Qalqilya, and Nablus; during a raid in Tammun, Israeli forces seized mobile phones, leading to confrontations with Palestinians; no injuries were reported. During a different raid in Sabastiyya, Israeli forces clashed with Palestinians, leading to tear-gas related injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces detained the secretary of Fatah in Jerusalem Yasser Darwish and banned him from entry to the West Bank for 3 months. 7 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Issawiyya, the Old City, and al-Tur. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands east of al-Shawka; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen within 4 nautical miles west of al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/8; WAFA 10/9; PCHR 10/15)

An Israeli court ruled that Israel can demolish 1 school east of Ramallah under the pretext that it was built without a permit. The school enrolls 50 students and was financed by donations from France, Finland, Luxembourg, Ireland, Spain, the UK, and Sweden. (WAFA 10/8; WAFA 10/9)

Secretary-general of the PLO Saeb Erakat said that he had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. (AJ, JP, TOI, WAFA 10/9)

Israel and Jordan signed a deal allowing airlines from each country to fly over each other’s airspace. (HA 10/8)

Lebanon’s former prime minister Saad Hariri, who resigned after prolonged protests at the end of 2019, said that he is a possible candidate to head the new Lebanese government. (REU 10/8; AJ 10/9)

The U.S. Trump administration announced new sanctions on Iran that effectively shuts off the country from the global financial system. The new sanctions are expected to halt flows of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid to Iran. (AJ, REU 10/8)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish 11 residential structures in the bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar nr. Jerusalem, displacing 87 people. Israeli authorities order the reopening of a road nr. Bethlehem that had been closed 2 weeks ago for security reasons, according to the IDF. IDF troops arrest 23 Palestinians, issue 1 arrest summons, assault 2 Palestinians, and confiscate personal property during late-night raids nr. Salfit, Hebron, Nablus, Ramallah, Qalqilya, and Jenin, and patrol nr. Qalqilya, Salfit, and Hebron during the day. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 8 Palestinians during raids in the Old City and Issawiyya. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian agricultural fields nr. Khan Yunis, causing no damage or injuries. (MNA, WAFA 1/2; PCHR 1/5)

PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. Wasel Abu Yousef announces plans for Russia to host a Hamas-Fatah reconciliation after the 1/15 peace conference in Paris. “The Palestinian leadership wants to demonstrate that it is working on both the peace process through the Paris conference and reconciliation by way of the Moscow meeting,” he adds. (JP 1/2; TOI 1/3)

An Islamic Jihad fighter in Gaza succumbs to injuries sustained while fighting the IDF in 2006. Meanwhile, dozens of Gazans gather in front of UNRWA’s offices in Rafah to protest a perceived lack of support. In s. Israel, Israeli police raid a slaughterhouse in a village nr. Beersheba, arresting more than 100 Palestinians from the West Bank working without proper permits. In the West Bank, Israeli forces deliver a stop-work order to a workshop under construction nr. Hebron. IDF troops conduct late-night house searches and raids in and around Ramallah, Qalqilya, Hebron, Nablus, and Jenin, arresting 19 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 2; patrol nr. Hebron, Salfit, and Ramallah. (MNA, WAFA 3/28; PCHR 3/31)

Israeli PM Netanyahu instructs Defense Minister (DM) Moshe Ya’alon to stop returning to the PA or their families bodies of Palestinians killed after committing serious crimes against Israelis. Sources in Netanyahu’s office refuse to comment on his motivation. (ALM, JP 3/28; HA, TOI 3/29)

A senior Fatah official reported on the Hamas and Fatah national reconciliation efforts following 2 days of talks in Doha on 3/26–27. He says they agreed to form a national unity govt. comprising Hamas, Fatah, and other factions, and to hold legislative and presidential elections within 6 mos. In addition, they agreed that a new unity govt. would work according to the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) guidelines (i.e., pursuing a 2-state solution by way of negotiations). Other reports say that the talks produced only 1 agreement: to not discuss the talks with the media. (TOI 3/28; JP 3/29)

In Gaza, telecom operator Jawwal reopens following an agreement with Hamas; there are no details released. In the West Bank, Palestinian assailants shoot and injure an Israeli settler nr. Qalqilya. IDF troops conduct late-night raids and house searches in 2 villages nr. Hebron, arresting 2 Palestinians; patrol during the day in 2 villages nr. Hebron, ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. and 1 village nr. Jericho. In East Jerusalem, an Israeli police jeep rams a Palestinian girl, moderately injuring her. Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians on a late-night raid in Bayt Sahur in addition to 5 youths on their way home from al-Aqsa Mosque in Ras al-Amud. (MNA, REU 7/5; PCHR 7/9)

Senior Fatah official Amin Maqboul says that the PLO’s talks on forming a new consensus govt. continue, despite Hamas’s objections to the process. Maqboul says that Hamas has demanded that any new govt. pay the salaries of all employees of the Hamas-run govt. in Gaza and describes the demand as among several “preconditions that widen the gap between the Gaza Strip and West Bank.” (MNA 7/6)

In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians protesting the Israeli occupation in Kafr Qaddum village nr. Qalqilya and outside al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, injuring 1 with live ammunition in the former. Unknown assailants open fire on an Israeli ambulance on a road nr. the Beit El settlement outside Ramallah, causing damage but no injuries. IDF troops then conduct raids in a nearby village. The IDF patrols in 3 villages and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron; conducts a late-night raid in a village nr. Hebron, arresting 2 Palestinians and sparking minor clashes with stone-throwing youths. Israeli settlers throw stones at a Palestinian man nr. Hebron, moderately injuring him. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian man in Bayt Hanina, moderately injuring him. Israeli forces conduct raids in the Old City, arresting 3 Palestinian youths. (HA, MNA 6/27; MNA, YA 6/28; PCHR 7/2)

The PLO Exec. Comm. appoints senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad to lead a comm. to consult with the various Palestinian factions and determine a more representative structure for a new consensus govt. The comm. begins talks with both Hamas and Islamic Jihad. A senior Palestinian official says that Hamas has placed impossible conditions on its participation in the govt. (YA 6/27; MNA 6/28)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troopsstationed along the n. border open fire on a group of stonethrowing Palestinians, injuring 4. A Palestinian is injured in an explosion nr. the French Cultural Center in Gaza City. (A small armed group takes responsibility for the attack on 12/18.) In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation, as well as the recent death of a senior PA official on 12/10 nr. Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, and 1 village nearby (Bayt Umar), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum). Two Palestinians are hit by tear gas canisters in Bil‘in and 7 are shot with rubbercoated metal bullets elsewhere. Meanwhile, a Palestinian man throws vinegar at a family of 5 Israeli settlers nr. Bethlehem, lightly injuring all of them. (The Israeli press 1st reported the story as an acid attack.) Another Israeli settler hits the Palestinian man with his car and shoots him in the leg, moderately injuring him. Shin Bet officers arrive soon after to detain the Palestinian man. The IDF then conducts a raid of his home. Separately, Palestinians throw stones at IDF troops on a patrol of Bayt Umar nr. Hebron, sparking clashes in which 3 Palestinians are injured with rubber-coated metal bullets. The IDF also patrols in the n. Jordan Valley, where they assault a Palestinian farmer and lightly injure him. IDF troops fire tear gas at dozens of Palestinians throwing stones at the soldiers; 1 Palestinian youth and 1 Israeli officer are injured. Israeli soldiers also conduct a raid s. of Bethlehem; patrol in Tulkarm. Following a march marking Hamas’s 27th anniversary, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, the Israeli police increase their patrols and deploy additional officers around Haram al-Sharif. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WP, YA 12/12; MNA, TOI 12/13; IMEMC 12/14; AFP, PCHR 12/18; EI 12/22)

The Israel Prison Service threatens to move the 70 Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike since 12/9 to criminal sections of their prisons, which would decrease their quality of life, if they continue their strike. (MNA 12/12)

U.S. Secy. of State Kerry phones Russian FM Sergey Lavrov and PA Pres. Abbas separately to discuss the French and Palestinian draft UNSC res. Kerry pressures Abbas not to end security coordination with Israel in response to the 12/10 death of senior PA official Ziad Abu Ein. Following the call, senior PLO and Fatah officials postpone their meeting to discuss a response until 12/14. (JP, MNA 12/13)

The Portuguese parliament adopts a recommendation calling on the govt. to recognize Palestinian statehood “in coordination with the EU.” (AFP, TOI 12/12; HA, IMEMC, WAFA 12/13)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 2 villages nr. Hebron and in Qalqilya; patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 village each nr. Jericho and Qalqilya, and in al-Bireh. (PCHR 10/23)

The Fatah Central Comm. issues a statement supporting PA Pres. Abbas’s plans to go the UNSC for a res. establishing a time line to end occupation. During the meeting, Abbas thanks Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, and Egypt for supporting his plan. Meanwhile, PLO chief negotiator Erakat says that “it is really difficult to convince at least 9 mbrs. in the UNSC to vote in favor.” Unnamed Palestinians officials say that 7 mbrs. of the council have already agreed to support such a res. (JP, YA 10/18)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village each nr. Jenin and Qalqilya, and in 3 villages, as well as al-‘Arub refugee camp (r.c.) nr. Hebron, 1 village each nr. Bethlehem and Jenin, and Qalqilya at night; patrols in 2 villages nr. Nablus and 1 village nr. Jenin at night. Jewish settlers from Migron outpost attack a Palestinian shepherd on his village land, severely wounding him and killing 2 sheep. (PCHR 8/22; YA 8/18)

The PLO Executive Cmte. meets in Ramallah, speaking out against recent Israeli settlement construction announcements and threatening to go to international bodies in search of redress. The cmte. also says it holds the U.S. administration responsible for failing to stop Israel’s settlement activity during the renewed peace talks. Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority (PA) PM Rami Hamdallah signs an agreement with U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem Michael Ratney in which the U.S. will pay $148 million to support the PA’s budget. (JP, MNA, WAFA 8/18)

A meeting takes place in the Gaza Strip between Hamas and Fatah leaders to discuss the possibility of holding presidential and legislative elections. However, on the same day, Fatah accuses Hamas authorities in Gaza of targeting its mbrs. for detention and harassment. Meanwhile, PA forces arrest 6 Hamas mbrs. in the West Bank. (MNA 8/18)

The U.S. State Dept. puts financing for economic programs directly involving the Egyptian govt. on hold, in the 1st real indication that the Obama administration will cut or curtail aid to the country in response to the military coup. Meanwhile, clashes continue in Egypt, with security forces killing at least 36 prisoners through suffocation after firing tear gas into a prison truck. The estimated death toll for 4 days of unrest in the country stands at around 900, with an estimated 70 police officers also killed. (AP, NYT 8/18)

A UN team tasked with investigating alleged use of chemical weapons arrives in Damascus and visits 3 specific sites. (AP, NYT 8/18)

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid to have the 1st discussions about forming a coalition. Lapid reportedly sets 2 conditions for joining a governing coalition: (1) a universal draft bill (see Quarterly Update in JPS 165) and (2) the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians. Meanwhile, Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman says that domestic issues will be the priority of the next government. (HA, YA, JP 1/24)

Secy.-gen. of the PLO Executive Comm. Yasir ‘Abid Rabbuh says that Pres. Abbas wants to meet and talk with centrist mbrs. of the new Knesset in coming weeks, including newcomers such as Yair Lapid. (YA 1/24)

Nominated U.S. secy. of state John Kerry tells his Senate confirmation hearing that he intends to invest effort in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and hopes that the Israeli election can help restart talks. (JP 1/24)

Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza coast nr. al-Waha, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 4 homes in 2 communities in the n. Jordan Valley; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Salfit at night. The IDF also patrols in 3 villages nr. Jenin, 2 each nr. Jericho and Ramallah, and 1 nr. Tulkarm in the morning; in Tulkarm and 1 village nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon; and in ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. nr. Jericho, 2 villages each nr. Jenin and Qalqilya, and 1 village each nr. Jericho and Ramallah at night. (MNA 1/24; PCHR 1/31)

The International Federation of Journalists condemns a week of arrests of journalists by Hamas security forces in the Gaza Strip, and calls for the release of 6 detained media workers. (MNA 1/24)

Israeli security agency Shin Bet announces that for the 1st year since 1973, there were no Israeli casualties from a Palestinian attack in the West Bank. The report covering 2012 says that there was an uptick in so-called popular terror in the West Bank, referring to stone-throwing and Molotov cocktails. The report notes that 10 Israelis were killed in security-related incidents during 2012, and that more than 2,500 rockets and mortar shells were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel. However, Shin Bet reports that since Operation Pillar of Defense in November 2012, no rockets have been fired. The report also records that 8 rockets were fired at Israel from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, and that there were 11 attempts to fire anti-aircraft weaponry at IDF planes, up from just 1 effort in 2011. (HA 1/24)

A number of Fatah leaders who fled the Gaza Strip during the Fatah-Hamas fighting in 2007 return to the territory, including former PA preventive security service head in Khan Yunis, Nasser al-Saqq. (MNA 1/24)

UN special rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism Ben Emmerson announces that the UN is launching an inquiry into the impact on civilians of drone strikes that will focus on 5 locations, including the Palestinian territories. The other 4 are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen. (BBC 1/24)

Israel approves 1,500 new housing units in the Ramat Shlomo settlement in East Jerusalem. The government is expected to approve a total of 6,500 settlement housing units over the next week, including almost 4,000 in Givat Hamatos–a new settlement nr. Bayt Safafa–and 1,000 units in Gilo South. Palestinian envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour urges permanent members of the UNSC to take action to stop Israel’s settlement plans in East Jerusalem. (JP, REU, MNA 12/17)

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen working 7 naut. mi. off the Gaza coast nr. Wadi Gaza (wounding 1) and nr. al-Waha (causing no injuries). In the West Bank, the IDF shoots and injures a Palestinian man in a village nr. Nablus, after Jewish settlers entered the village and clashed with residents. Israeli forces also raid Jaba village in the n. West Bank, ransacking several homes and taking photographs of a number of buildings. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Tulkarm in the morning, and in 1 village nr. Jenin, and Tulkarm and 1 nearby village in the afternoon; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon, and in Salfit, Hebron and 3 nearby villages at night. (MNA 12/17; PCHR 12/20)

Teachers in the West Bank go on strike to protest the delay in the payment of their salaries. The PA has not set a target date for paying back salaries. Meanwhile, the PA civil servants union accuses Israel of collective punishment for withholding Palestinian tax revenues and calls a strike from 12/18 to the end of the week. (MNA 12/17)

Hamas’s Interior Ministry in Gaza says that Fatah will be allowed to celebrate its 48th anniversary in Gaza, in order ‘‘to promote the atmosphere of unity.’’ (MNA 12/17)

Syrian rebels take control of Yarmuk r.c. nr. Damascus after a fierce battle pitting rebels and anti-Asad Palestinians against the pro-Asad PFLP–GC. PLO official in Syria Anwar Abdul-Hadi says that over half the Palestinian population of Yarmuk r.c. has fled; Palestinian amb. to Syria puts the figure at 95%. (MNA, REU 12/17)

UK foreign secretary William Hague urges the U.S. to take a ‘‘decisive lead’’ in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts in coming months, adding that ‘‘we’re coming to the final chance, maybe, for a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be successfully resolved.’’ (BBC 11/25)

Fatah Central Comm. mbr. Nabil Shaath announces that the PA will release Hamas-affiliated detainees as a gesture to boost reconciliation efforts. Hamas officials say they will move to release Fatah prisoners in the Gaza Strip. The leader of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine Saleh Zeidan reports that Pres. Mahmud Abbas will call a meeting of the PLO Reform Comm. in Cairo after returning from the UN to revive talks of expanding the PLO to include Hamas and Islamic Jihad as part of a national reconciliation deal. Meanwhile, Hamas officials in Gaza announce plans for Hamas leader Khalid Mishal to visit the Gaza Strip for the 1st time on 12/5, timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Hamas’s founding. (MNA, HA 11/25)

Israel successfully tests its David’s Sling missile defense system, designed to shoot down midrange missiles. Development of David’s Sling, like the Iron Dome long-range missile defense system, has been largely funded by the U.S. (AP 11/25)

In the Gaza Strip, the IDF opens fire on farmers nr. Bayt Hanun in the morning and again in the afternoon, causing no injuries. The IDF also opens fire on Palestinians nr. Khan Yunis, lightly wounding 1 man. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Tulkarm in the morning and 5 villages nr. Hebron, 2 villages nr. Jenin, and 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Nablus, Tulkarm, 1 village nr. Salfit, 1 village nr. Tubas, and 2 villages nr. Qalqilya at night. Suspected right-wing Jewish extremists vandalize 8 cars in the Palestinian neighborhood of Shu‘fat in occupied East Jerusalem in a ‘‘price-tag’’ attack. (HA, MNA 11/25; PCHR 11/29)

Turkish FM Ahmet Davutog˘lu tells CNN that Turkey will not make any concessions in order to resolve the diplomatic crisis with Israel, following reports (11/23) of an informal meeting in Geneva. (HA 11/25)

Gunfire coming from inside Syria hits an Israeli military vehicle in the occupied Golan Heights, causing no injuries. Israel lodges a complaint with the UN in response. (REU 11/25)

The IDF makes a brief incursion into n. Gaza in the morning to level lands and clear lines of sight along the border e. of Jabaliya r.c., firing on nearby residential areas to keep Palestinians indoors. In Dura and Ithna villages nr. Hebron, the IDF destroys 1 Palestinian home, part of 2 other homes, 9 agricultural pools and irrigation networks, 4 water tanks, and 5 wells, also confiscating 15 water pumps and other agricultural equipment. The IDF also patrols in 3 villages nr. Qalqilya and 1 nr. Jenin in the evening; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem and neighboring Dahaysha r.c. Washington Jewish Week reports that in the previous wk., Israel’s Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court rejected 2 lawsuits demanding the eviction of Palestinian families fr. their Silwan homes; the suits were brought by Eldad, an organization seeking to Judaize Jerusalem in part by settling Jews in the predominantly Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, nr. the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount. (WJW 12/22; PCHR 12/29; OCHA 1/5)

At the close of 2 days of talks in Cairo, Fatah’s Abbas and Hamas’s Mishal agree that they will both sit on the comm. that will prepare for the next elections of the PLO’s parliament-in-exile, the Palestinian National Council (PNC), marking a major step toward Hamas joining the PLO. They also agree to form an interim unity government by the end of 1/2012 and to bring elected Hamas-affiliated legislators back into the PA’s parliament, the Palestinian Council (PC), in 2/2012. (NYT, AP, WP, WT 12/23; HA 12/28)

Reports indicate that Hamas is scaling back its presence in Syria because of violence there, but overall feels buoyed by the Arab Spring. Senior Hamas official Mahmud Zahar states that Hamas feels strengthened and validated by the popular support shown for Islamist parties in countries affected by the Arab Spring, suggesting that the new Tunisian model of power-sharing among Islamist and secular nationalist parties could be a model for the Palestinians. (WP 12/22)

The PLO and Fatah leaderships meet jointly in Ramallah and formally agree “to approach the UN this coming September to obtain recognition of the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders and Palestinian membership in the international community,” given that there are “no new incentives to return to negotiations.” (AP 6/26; JTA, Telegraph 6/27; HA 6/28)

Israel’s Government Press Office sends a letter to accredited foreign correspondents stating that Israel will ban entry for 10 yrs. to any foreign journalist who rides along with the Freedom Flotilla II; the Foreign Press Association denounces the decision. 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 begins dismantling part of the separation wall nr. Bil‘in in keeping with a 2007 Israeli High Court ruling that the path of the wall was illegal. OCHA reports that the IDF has also begun rerouting a section of the separation wall nr. Khirbat Jabara village nr. Tulkarm in keeping with another 2007 Israeli High Court decision. The IDF also patrols in 3 villages nr. Qalqilya (holding 1 Palestinian teenager for questioning); enters Issawiyya nr. Jerusalem late in the evening, firing tear gas and stun grenades at stonethrowing Palestinians who confront them, injuring and arresting 2 15-yr.-old Palestinian boys; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and Tulkarm. (WP, WT 6/27; PCHR 6/30; OCHA 7/1)

Overnight, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire on and shell a group of Palestinians nr. the n. Gaza border fence, killing 3 Palestinians; Palestinians say the 3 were unarmed men attempting to sneak into Israel to find work, but the IDF claims they were armed men preparing to lay explosive devices along the border. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 3 wells and an agricultural storehouse nr. a settler-only bypass road nr. Hebron; seals and patrols in Jit nr. Qalqilya during the afternoon. In Ramallah, some 1,000 young Palestinians hold a rally calling for national unity and reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas. (AFP, WP 2/18; PCHR 2/24; OCHA 2/25)

U.S. pres. Barack Obama phones PA pres. Mahmud Abbas to urge him to delay a 2/18 vote on a UN Security Council (UNSC) res. reaffirming that Israeli settlements are illegal and an obstacle to peace or agree to a compromise UNSC presidential statement (less than a res.) criticizing settlements and urging the sides to resume negotiations. Abbas agrees to convene an emergency meeting of the PLO Exec. Comm. (PLOEC) and Fatah Central Comm. (FCC) to consider the matter. (HA 2/17; HA, MNA, NYT 2/18)

After violence overnight (see 2/16), Bahrain’s govt. declares martial law, deploying the military to the streets and warning of a “sectarian abyss”; the main Shi‘i political party withdraws fr. parliament, protesting the acts of the minority Sunni leadership; and opposition groups call for massive demonstrations after Friday prayers on 2/18. (NYT, WP, WT 2/18)

In Libya, protesters in 5 main cities observe a “Day of Rage” against Qaddafi, clashing with govt. forces, leaving at least 12 protesters dead and 10s wounded; the govt. cuts phone and Internet service and bars journalists to prevent coverage. Serious clashes in and around Benghazi continue on 2/18. (NYT, WP, WT 2/18; NYT, WP 2/19)

Abbas convenes the PLO Exec. Comm. and Fatah Central Comm. to discuss Clinton’s 12/10 statements. The leadership says it opposes any negotiations with Israel, direct or indirect, in the absence of a settlement freeze and that any further talks would have to be based on clear, explicit terms of reference, namely a 2-state solution based on 1967 lines. (NYT 12/14)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the fmr. Jewish settlement sites, seriously wounding 1 Palestinian, who is evacuated to an Israeli hospital. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Qalqilya and 2 neighboring villages in the morning. (PCHR 12/16; OCHA 12/17)

U.S. officials spend the day trying to broker a compromise with Israel that will guarantee that direct talks will continue. Despite U.S. appeals, Netanyahu allows the freeze to expire at midnight local time (6:00 p.m. EDT). Abbas agrees not to follow through on threats to halt direct talks immediately to give U.S. diplomacy more time to work, but says he plans to consult with Fatah and PLO leaders, as well as the Arab League regarding how to move forward. (At his request, an Arab League session is set for 10/4, essentially leaving a week to resolve the freeze issue; the date is later changed to 10/6.) Even before the freeze ends, Israel’s Dep. PM Silvan Shalom lays the cornerstone for construction of a new yeshiva at a ceremony in Beit Romano settlement in Hebron attended by settlement leaders and right-wing Knesset members. Likud party mbrs. and 1,000s of settlers bussed in from around the West Bank attend a rally in neighboring Revava settlement to count down the end of the moratorium. In nearby Kiryat Netafim settlement, Jewish settlers hold a groundbreaking ceremony for construction of a new day-care center. Dozens of armed Jewish settlers from Ma’on settlement nr. Hebron guarded by IDF soldiers escort bulldozers to a nearby site where they begin laying the foundations for new homes at nearby Havat Maon outpost. After midnight, construction begins at several settlements across the West Bank. (NYT, WP, WT 9/27; NYT, WP 9/28; PCHR 9/30)

Meanwhile, timed with the lifting of the settlement freeze, 9 Jewish activists depart Cyprus on a catamaran, hoping to break the blockade of Gaza to deliver a token shipment of medicine and water purification equipment. In the West Bank, unidentified Palestinian gunmen fire on 2 Jewish settler vehicles driving nr. Hebron, moderately wounding 1 Jewish settler; no group takes responsibility. The IDF sends troops into Azun village nr. Qalqilya to patrol streets, set up checkpoints, and check Palestinian IDs, arresting 1 Palestinian; seals an entrance to Marda village nr. Salfit; conducts late-night patrols in Jenin town and r.c., making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin and Nablus. In Gaza, IDF troops on the s. Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis fire warning shots at Palestinians conducting a nonviolent protest march to the border fence to protest Israel’s imposition of a buffer zone, seriously wounding 1. (NYT 9/27; WT 9/28; PCHR 9/30; OCHA 10/1)

The IDF makes at least 4 air strikes on Gaza targeting Hamas, attempting to assassinate Hamas mbr. Muhammad Shatat as he drives in Gaza City (causing no injuries), hitting 2 suspected weapons caches and 2 money exchanges in Jabaliya r.c. (also destroying a Palestinian home) and Gaza City (wounding 7 Palestinians, including a pregnant woman, 2 children). Palestinians fire at least 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In Jabaliya, 2 Abu Rish Brigades mbrs. (affiliated with Fatah) are injured when explosives they are handling detonate prematurely. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem and Nablus, in Qalqilya, and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah, Salfit, Tulkarm. Meanwhile, Abbas, Hamas-affiliated PA PM Ismail Haniyeh meet in Gaza to discuss ways of calming intra-Palestinian violence. Abbas also meets with reps. of other factions to urge them to halt rocket fire into Israel. Unidentified gunmen fire on the home of a Fatah leader in Gaza City, wounding 1 Palestinian. A Palestinian dies of injuries received in an 5/18 IDF air strike on Gaza City that assassinated 2 Hamas mbrs. (IFM, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 5/24; OCHA 5/30; PCHR 5/31)

With the cease-fire at Nahr al-Barid r.c. holding, the Lebanese army reinforces troops around the camp. Palestinian refugees continue to flee the r.c. during the day, most heading to nearby Biddawi r.c.; at most, half of the 40,000 residents remain. The UN warns the camp is still without water, electricity; food supplies are low. The PLO says it would not object to the Lebanese army entering the r.c. if necessary; raises the possibility of sending in fighters fr. Palestinian factions who know the layout of the r.c. to roust the FI mbrs. Palestinian leaders in the camp and local Islamist figures in Tripoli attempt to negotiate a FI surrender. Meanwhile, a bomb explodes in the Druze village of Aley nr. Beirut, wounding 16 Lebanese; no group claims responsibility. (AFP, DS, LBC, OCS 5/23 in WNC 5/24; NYT, WP, WT 5/24; WT 5/25)

The IDF raids Yatta, detains several candidates in the 1/25 elections after they conclude a rally; bars Fatah candidates fr. crossing a checkpoint nr. Qalqilya to attend a campaign rally in Azun Itma village; raids a Fatah campaign rally in East Jerusalem, detaining Fatah candidate Uthman Abu Gharbiyya; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Dura (occupying 3 Palestinian homes as observation posts), Jenin and in Bethlehem, Hebron, Yatta. IDF troops stationed on the central Gaza border detain 7 Palestinian teenagers (ages 13–15) fr. Nussayrat r.c. attempting to sneak into Israel to find work. Some 3,000 Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters led by several Palestinian candidates to the 1/25 elections take part in the weekly nonviolent march against the separation wall in Bil‘in; the IDF fires tear gas to disperse the crowd. A Jewish settler moderately injures a Palestinian in a hit-and-run nr. Nablus. (IMEMC 1/20; Gush Shalom press release, JAZ 1/21; PLO Negotiation Affairs Dept. press release 1/23; PCHR 1/26)

As the campaign period for the 1/25 Palestinian elections opens, Israeli police in East Jerusalem arrest Independent Palestine candidate Mustafa Barghouthi as he campaigns, releases him after 4 hrs.; detain 7 Fatah candidates campaigning in the city; disperse a Third Way rally led by Palestinian Council (PC) mbr. Hanan Ashrawi (Jerusalem); in 2 separate incidents, bars Central Election Commission (CEC) staff mbrs. fr. crossing a Tulkarm checkpoint to attend an election-related mtg. in nearby Dayr al-Ghusun and the Jordan Valley; blocks the transportation of election campaigning material fr. the West Bank to Gaza; sends troops into Jenin town and r.c. Meanwhile, the IDF opens the new Kerem Shalom commercial crossing on the Egypt-Gaza-Israel border; fatally shoots wanted Palestinian Mustafa Muhammad during an arrest raid nr. Hebron; raids a Palestinian school in Anata n. of Jerusalem, firing rubber bullets, injuring 1 teacher, 1 student and then fires on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, wounding 8; bulldozes a Palestinian home in Bayt Hanina; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, Jalazun r.c., Jenin town and r.c., Nablus, Qalqilya; dismantles 3 unauthorized settlement outposts nr. Bat Ayin, Efrat, Pdu’el. In response to the 1/2 assassination, Islamic Jihad fires at least 12 rockets at the Negev, the ARB fires a rocket at Sederot, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF responds with artillery fire on 8 roads leading to the n. Gaza no-go zone, causing no injuries. The AMB, ARB claim joint responsibility for detonating an explosive device nr. an IDF bulldozer operating on Jenin r.c., seriously injuring 1 IDF soldier. PA police arrest Gaza AMB leader Ala’ al-Hams for plotting the kidnapping of 3 Britons on 12/28. Jewish settlers fr. Avraham Avino break into, rob, vandalize several Palestinian shops in Hebron. (AFP, AP, BBC, HA, IMEMC, JAZ 1/3; IMEMC, PMC, WP, WT, YA 1/4; HA, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 1/5; HA 1/6; PLO Negotiation Affairs Dept. press release 1/23)

The IDF sends troops into Salfit, raids Prisoners’ Support Society offices, confiscates files and a computer, vandalizes furniture; raids offices, confiscates documents of 2 cultural societies in Bethlehem, Qarawat Bani Hassan; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Bireh, Haris and nearby Nablus, al-Mughraqa, Qalqilya, Tulkarm r.c.; shells agricultural areas of al-Qarara. The IDF platoon cmdr. responsible for the deliberate shooting of a 13-yr.-old Palestinian girl in Gaza on 10/5/04 is indicted on charges of misuse of a firearm, ordering subordinates to lie about the shooting, violation of military regulations. Palestinians fire 6 mortars at a Jewish settlement in s. Gaza, 5 mortars at an IDF post on the Gaza-Egypt border, causing no damage or injuries. (XIN 11/22; VOI 11/23 in WNC 11/25; PCHR 11/25; WP 11/28)

The Fatah Central Comm. votes (13– 0, with 2 mbrs. not voting) to nominate PLO head Mahmud Abbas as the party’s candidate in the upcoming PA presidential elections, slated for 1/9/05; calls on the PA to hold legislative elections before mid-2005. (XIN 11/22; JAZ 11/22 in WNC 11/24; MM, WP 11/23; QA 11/23 in WNC 11/25; PR 11/24; al-Ahram 12/3; BBC 12/10)

U.S. Secy. of State Colin Powell ends a 2-day trip to Israel, Ramallah to discuss ways to accelerate the peace-making process and revitalize the Palestinian economy. He presses the sides to do everything possible to ensure that the maximum number of Palestinians, including those in East Jerusalem, are able to participate in the PA presidential elections on 1/9/05. Sharon says he will consider withdrawing troops fr. population centers, will do all he can to facilitate Palestinian movement during voting. (NYT, REU, WP, WT 11/22; JAZ, VOI, VOP 11/22 in WNC 11/24; al-Arabiyya TV 11/22 in WNC 12/25; MM, NYT, WP, WT 11/23; WP 11/28; MEI 12/3)

Middle East peace conference opens in the royal palace in Madrid with delegations from Israel, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and the joint Palestinian-Jordanian delegation present. Conference begins with short speech by Spanish PM Felipe Gonzalez, followed by addresses by conference co-conveners Presidents Bush and Gorbachev, and Dutch FM Hans van den Broek, representating the European Community. Soviet FM Boris Pankin and Secy. of State Baker were also present at the negotiating table. Saudi ambassador to the U.S. Prince Bandar bin Sultan and 'Abdullah Bishara, secy. gen. of the Gulf Cooperation Council, also attend the conference, but are not seated at the table. Egyptian FM 'Amr Musa delivers the first address by one of the negotiating delegations. Secy. of State Baker confirms that it was not certain whether or not second phase bilateral talks between Israel and the Arab delegations would commence 11/2 as scheduled due to disagreement between Israel, Arab delegations over venue of such talks. Israel is pushing for holding the negotiations in the Middle East, while Arab delegations seek to continue to hold such talks in Madrid. (NYT 10/31)

Hamas calls for a general strike to protest the peace conference. But 2,000 Palestinian supporters of Fateh, some armed with clubs and knives and waving Palestinian flags, march in favor of the peace talks in Gaza as Israeli troops follow them but make no effort to disperse the gathering. The marchers clashed with supporters of Hamas, injuring four. Five thousand other PLO supporters march in Khan Yunis. Pro-peace conference activists in Qalqiliya, Jenin force shopkeepers to open their shops which had been closed following orders by Hamas to observe ageneral strike. Elsewhere, Israeli security forces kill one Palestinian in Hebron, wound at least 24 in Gaza and 11 in Nablus during clashes. (NYT, WP, MEM 10/31)

Iraqi National Assembly condemns peace conference, attacks Syria, Egypt for their participation. (MEM 10/31)

Some 10,000 Lebanese march in Beirut against peace conference. (WP 10/31)

Israeli, South Lebanon Army forces bombard villages near Nabatiyya, S. Lebanon, in retaliation for 10/29 attacks on Israeli troops. (NYT 10/31)