The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, 1 village nr. Tulkarm in the afternoon, and in 3 villages each nr. Jenin, and nr. Ramallah, 1 village each nr. Jericho, and nr. Tulkarm at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in Nablus, 2 villages nr. Nablus and 1 nr. Bethlehem at night. During nonviolent demonstrations against the Israeli occupation and in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners, Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals are violently dispersed by IDF soldiers in 4 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, al-Nabi Salih, Ni‘lin, Silwad), 2 villages nr. Bethlehem (al-Khader, al-Ma’sara), and in al-Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah. There are no serious injuries, except in Silwad (3) and al-Jalazun (3). (PCHR 4/25)

Newly re-elected Hamas leader Khalid Mishal convenes senior Hamas officials in Qatar to discuss, among other issues, prospects for forming a national unity government in the wake of PA PM Salam Fayyad’s 4/13 resignation, and ways of pressuring Israel to free Palestinian prisoners. Meanwhile, Pres. Mahmud Abbas says he will launch talks in the near future on forming a new cabinet. (AFP, MNA 4/19)

Weekly Palestinian protests against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion this week coincide with Land Day, the annual event to protest Israel’s discriminatory land policies. Israel seals the Erez crossing for 2 days (3/30–31), citing security concerns. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold their weekly nonviolent demonstrations in Bil’in, Kafr Qaddum, Nabi Salih, and Ni’lin (with protests in Bil’in and Ni’lin also calling for reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas). IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (Nabi Salih only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at these protesters, injuring 11 Palestinians (including a child) and 1 international (4 Palestinians are wounded by live fire in Nabi Salih; the rest are hit by tear-gas canisters in Kafr Qaddum). Palestinians hold at least 5 other Land Day rallies in the West Bank (outside Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem, outside Ofer Prison and at 2 points along the separation wall nr. Ramallah, and at the Qalandia crossing n. of Jerusalem). IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (Ofer and Qalandia only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at these protesters, injuring 19 (including 2 children; at least 7 are hit by live fire and 1 is seriously injured by a tear-gas canister to the head). In Gaza, Hamas authorities allow 1,000s of Palestinians to conduct a nonviolent demonstration nearly a mile from the Erez crossing, deploying police to prevent the protesters from marching to the border. Nonetheless, IDF troops on the Gaza border fire on the demonstration, killing 1 Palestinian and wounding 37 (1 seriously; including 16 children). A major protest planned for East Jerusalem does not materialize. Inside Israel, some 2,000 Israeli Palestinians demonstrate in the Galilee, with no violence reported. (NYT, WP 3/31; OCHA, PCHR 4/5)

Nonviolent Land Day protests are also held in Jordan and Lebanon. In Lebanon, 100s of Palestinians and Lebanese gather at Beaufort castle, 9 miles fr. the Israeli border, where Lebanese military forces deploy to prevent them fr. marching to the border. In Jordan, some 20,000 Palestinians march toward the West Bank border but stop 4 miles. No violence is reported in either case. (NYT, WP 3/31)

The IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Jericho in the morning; patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin (firing stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, causing no injuries) and 1 nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon; conducts late-night patrols in Jericho and nearby `Ayn al-Sultan r.c., 1 village nr. Hebron, and 1 nr. Ramallah. (PCHR 4/5)

Israel allows a 2-day supply of diesel fuel into Gaza, allowing Gaza’s power plant to restart 1 turbine for the 1st time since 3/10/12. Hamas officials organize protests in Gaza calling on Egypt to resume the transfer of fuel through Gaza’s smuggling tunnels. Late at night, an IDF undercover unit enters a Palestinian village as part of a training mission and is challenged by 3 stickwielding Palestinians who think the soldiers are burglars; the soldiers open fire, seriously wounding the 3 Palestinians (including shooting and beating at least 1 after he was severely injured) and delaying medical treatment for 1 hr. before taking them to an Israeli hospital for treatment; 1 Palestinian later dies. The IDF also patrols in 4 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning; patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin in the afternoon, firing stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them in 1 instance and stopping to question several boys in the other; conducts late-night patrols in 2 villages nr. Salfit and 1 each nr. Hebron, Jericho, and Ramallah. An 8-yr.- old Palestinian boy is seriously injured nr. Nablus when he accidentally triggers unexploded IDF ordnance that he found in a field. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil’in, Kafr Qaddum, and al-Ma’sara. IDF soldiers beat and fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 4 Palestinians (3 in al-Ma’sara who are beaten; 1 in Kafr Qaddum who is hit by a tear-gas canister). (NYT 3/24; PCHR 3/29; OCHA 3/30; HA 4/5, 4/26)

Muslim Brotherhood officials in Egypt say they are distancing themselves a bit from Hamas and opening new channels of communication with Fatah in hopes of pressing Hamas to compromise with Fatah on national unity issues so as to increase pressure on Israel. The officials argue that if the 2 Palestinian factions create a untied front with a “newly assertive” Egypt, Egypt will have a better chance of pressuring Israel to make concessions over Palestinian statehood. The Muslim Brotherhood was the top vote-getter in Egyptian recent parliamentary elections after the 2/2011 ouster of fmr. pres. Husni Mubarak. (WP 3/24)

IDF troops on the c. Gaza border fire warning shots at a Palestinian grazing sheep too near the border fence e. of Bureij r.c., wounding her in the foot. In the evening, the IDF shells an open area n. of Jabaliya town; 1 woman is sent to the hospital in shock. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts morning patrols in Jericho, nearby Aqabat Jabir r.c., Qalqilya and 1 nearby village, and 1 village nr. Ramallah; conducts late-night patrols in 3 villages nr. Jenin, Ramallah (photographing several houses and old mosques in Um Safa), and 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, Ni’lin, and Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 3 Palestinians in Bil’in are injured by rubber-coated steel bullets. (PCHR 1/12; OCHA 1/13)

Jerusalem Post International republishes Sudanese media reports claiming that in the previous month, the Israeli air force struck at least 2 weapons convoys in Sudan believed headed for Gaza. The Sudanese military denies the reports, and Israel declines to comment. The Israeli navy has been operating in the Red Sea in recent years in effort to halt arms smuggling to Hamas and Hizballah. (JPI 1/6)

A computer hacker identifying himself as a Saudi Arabian teenager with the handle 0xOmar hacks 3 Israeli credit card companies and publishes online the credit card data and security information of at least 20,000 Israelis. While unable to confirm the identity of the hacker or hackers, the Israeli government calls it an act of cyberterrorism intended to harm the Israeli economy. (NYT 1/7; WP 1/8; JPI 1/17)

After meetings with the U.S. and EU envoys and Arab FMs, Abbas declares in a televised address that the Palestinians will ask for full member-state status at the UN, not simply observerstate status. Insiders say Abbas was debating which tack to take until he met again with Ross and Hale who offered no incentives and only threats to get him to drop the plan; outraged by the U.S. posturing, he decided to go for full membership. (NYT 9/17)

The IDF patrols in 9 villages between morning and late evening (4 nr. Ramallah, 2 nr. Tulkarm, 1 each nr. Jenin, Jericho, and Salfit). A Hamas mbr. dies of injuries received in a 1/8/09 IDF drone missile strike on his vehicle in Khan Yunis, during Operation Cast Lead. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bayt Umar, Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and al-Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers beat and fire rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, moderately injuring 1 Palestinian; 1 Palestinian is arrested and 2 Palestinian journalists are forcibly removed. Armed Jewish settlers fr. Esh Kodesh outpost nr. Nablus attempt to swim in a pond on nearby Palestinian land in Qusra-Jaloud village and open fire on villagers who confront them, wounding 1 before the IDF intervenes, firing tear gas at the Palestinians to disperse them. (PCHR 9/22; OCHA 9/23)

The IDF continues heavy air strikes (including 1 missile dropped fr. a war plane and 13 missiles fired fr. helicopters and drones) and artillery attacks (more than a dozen) hitting at least 19 targets across Gaza, killing another 11 Palestinians (5 civilians and 6 militants), wounding 20 (19 civilians and 1 militant), and damaging a commercial building and several homes. Israeli DM Barak stresses that the assaults are in response to the bus attack on 4/7 and not the start of a major offensive. Palestinians fire another 24 mortars and 6 rockets, causing damage in 2 incidents but no injuries. Various factions claim responsibility for firing, including the AMB, DFLP, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and the PRCs. Israel’s new Iron Dome system intercepts 3 of the rockets. In addition, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fired warning shots at Palestinian farmers nr. the border fence, forcing them to flee. Israeli naval vessels fired toward the Gaza City beach and at Palestinian fishermen off the coast w. of Nussayrat r.c., causing no injuries. With the past 24 hrs. marking the worst flare-up in crossborder violence since OCL, UN Secy.-Gen. Ban calls on both sides to observe a ceasefire immediately. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Jericho and 2 villages nr. Ramallah (firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries); conducts morning arrest raids, house searches nr. Jericho. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih/Dayr Nizam. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, causing no serious injuries; 5 Palestinians are arrested. (IsRN, JP, MNA 4/8; JP, MNA, NYT, WP 4/9; IFM 4/10; PCHR 4/14; OCHA 4/15)