The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to wheat fields in Burin and Qusra. Israeli settlers also razed land in Qusra to build a road between 2 Israeli settlements. Israeli forces seized 5 bulldozers and stone-extracting equipment in a quarry near Ramallah. 5 Palestinians were injured by Israeli forces using rubber-coated bullets during a confrontation in Kafr ‘Aqab, others suffered tear-gas related injuries. 2 Palestinians were arrested during a late-night raid in Dura. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces delivered a demolition notice for 1 Palestinian-owned home in al-Sawahara and demolished 1 shack and 2 shops near al-Sawahara al-Sharqiyya. 11 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Silwan, the Old City, al-Tur, and Issawiyya. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Bayt Lahiya; no injuries were reported. In Israel, a court in Tel Aviv temporarily halted construction of a homeless shelter on a Muslim cemetery in Jaffa after a week of protests. When Jaffa residents and the local Islamic council presented the order to Israeli police, they were violently dispersed and several Palestinian activists were arrested. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/17; PCHR 6/18)

Jordanian King Abdullah II told U.S. congressional leaders and committees via video conference that Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank is unacceptable and will undermine stability and peace. He further stated that peace will only come with the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. (REU 6/16, HA 6/17)

In the West Bank, the governor of Bethlehem ordered a lockdown on the Bethlehem district to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus as 19 confirmed cases had been discovered in Bethlehem. On 3/6, the city of Bethlehem was sealed off. Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian-owned houses in Madama, leading to confrontations with Palestinians; tear-gas related injuries occurred when Israeli forces intervened. A similar incident occurred hours later when settlers from the same settlement threw stones at Palestinian houses in Burin. In East Jerusalem, 2 Palestinians were injured by sound bomb shrapnel and dozens of Palestinians suffered tear-gas related injuries during clashes with Israeli forces in Issawiyya. 2 Palestinians were arrested in the Old City. In Gaza, the death toll from the fire in a bakery on 3/5 rose to 11 after 1 more person succumbed to his injuries. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces attacked Palestinian fishermen using live ammunition and water hoses 3 nautical miles off the northern coast of Gaza. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on agricultural lands east of al-Maghazi and al-Qarara; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/7; PCHR 3/18)

In the West Bank, Palestinians protesting the U.S. administration’s peace plan in and around Hebron, Qalqilya, al-Bireh, and Tulkarm suffered tear-gas related injuries during clashes with Israel forces; 2 Palestinians were hospitalized after being hit in the head by rubber-coated bullets. Separately, 1 Palestinian minor was hit by a tear-gas canister to his head when Israeli forces raided a school in Burin. Israeli settlers attacked 1 Palestinian shepherd near Tubas, causing light injuries. 6 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, ‘Azun, Ramallah, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Silwan and the Old City. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed targets near Bayt Lahiya, causing damage. Israeli forces also opened fire on Palestinian agricultural lands; no injuries were reported. In Israel, a Palestinian family was handed a demolition order for their house in Lydda. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/2; PCHR 2/6)

Israel began a ban on imports of agricultural products from the West Bank as announced on 1/31. (HA 1/31)