The Palestine Chronology

In the evening, IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Gaza City fire an artillery shell at a Palestinian home but it does not explode, causing damage but no injuries to the 4 adults and 8 children inside. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 4 villages nr. Ramallah, 2 nr. Qalqilya and 1 nr. Tulkarm during the day; conducts late-night patrols in Jenin town and r.c., 4 villages nr Jenin, 2 nr. Qalqilya, 2 nr. Salfit, 1 nr. Tulkarm. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil’in, Nabi Salih, and Ni`lin; demonstrations in Bil’in also call for solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, causing no reported injuries. Palestinians and international activists also hold 3 large nonviolent demonstrations and marches in various parts of Hebron to mark the 18th anniversary of the Tomb of the Patriarchs massacre. IDF soldiers fire foul-smelling skunk spray, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters. In total, 13 Palestinians are moderately injured and hospitalized 27 are lightly injured and treated by medical crews at the scene, and 2 Palestinians and 1 international are arrested. (PCHR 3/1; OCHA 3/2)

Meanwhile, Palestinians responding to rumors (claimed by Israel to be false) that Israeli security forces plan to escort a group of right-wing Jews onto the al-Aqsa Mosque compound march on the IDF’s al-Ram checkpoint into Jerusalem, blocking the access road with burning tires, throwing stones, and setting off fire works, injuring 11 Israeli soldiers and border police. The IDF fires live ammunition, tear gas, and percussion grenades at the protesters, killing 1 Palestinian. (WP 2/27; PCHR 3/1)

Speaking at Friday prayers in Cairo’s al-Azhar Mosque, Hamas’s acting PM in Gaza, Haniyeh, issues the movement’s 1st public call supporting the Syrian opposition, stating: “I salute all people of the Arab Spring . . . and I salute the heroic people of Syria who are striving for freedom, democracy, and reform.” (NYT, WP 2/25; JPI 3/9)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late night arrest raids in and around Jenin town and r.c., Nablus, and in al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Tubas (firing live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 6); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (injuring 2 Palestinians, 1 international). Israel imposes new restrictions requiring Palestinian medical personnel fr. the West Bank who work in Jerusalem to enter Jerusalem only through the Qalandia checkpoint, the most crowded checkpoint, causing them significant delays. Heavy rains cause the collapse of 10 smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border, trapping and injuring at least 7 Palestinians. Egypt allows the entry of a delegation of Islamic Jihad officials fr. Gaza who are heading to Damascus for a wk. of internal discussions on Egypt’s proposed national unity plan ahead of national unity talks in Cairo on 11/9. Inside Israel, Hebrew University student Ali Baher, an Israeli Palestinian, is detained by campus security, questioned for 3 hrs., charged with “inappropriate conduct” for refusing on political grounds to shake hands with Pres. Shimon Peres, who randomly approached Baher while he was touring the campus library meeting with students; the university evicts Baher from campus housing and orders a disciplinary hearing (date not set) to decide whether he should be suspended. (MNA 11/2; OCHA 11/5; PCHR, Physicians for Human Rights–Israel press release 11/6)

Concerned by the escalating settler violence directed at Israeli security forces, the Israeli cabinet at its weekly meeting votes to suspend all direct and indirect government funding to unauthorized settlement outposts (especially citing infrastructure such as roads, garbage collection, and school buses) in the 1st de facto admission that public funds are used to advance illegal settlement. Olmert also proposes increasing arrests and administrative detention of Jewish settlers who break the law. The Jerusalem District Juvenile Court remands and indicts 3 Jewish settler girls (ages 12, 15, 17) for reckless endangerment, aggravated assault of security forces, and obstruction of a police officer for attacks against Israeli border police in Givat Harsina on 10/30. IDF district cmdr. Noam Tivon cancels plans to give a speech at a yeshiva in Efrat settlement nr. Bethlehem after Jewish settlers fr. Hebron threaten to hold a massive demonstration to block his visit, calling him an “expulsion criminal” for previously ordering the removal settlers fr. the unauthorized Federman Farm outpost. (YA 11/2; NYT, WP 11/3; WT 11/4; MM 11/4, 11/7)