45 / 15150 Results
  • December 18, 2011

    The last U.S. combat troops pull out of Iraq 2 wks. ahead of Obama’s 12/31/11 target date; 1,000s of U.S. diplomats and contractors remain in the country, as well as 150 U.S. soldiers tasked to...

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  • November 24, 2011

    Hamas leader Mishal and PA pres. and Fatah head Abbas meet for 2 hrs. in Cairo to hold the 1st detailed talks since 8/2011 on implementing their 5/2011 national unity deal (see QU in JPS 161)....

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  • September 19, 2011

    Netanyahu announces a last-minute decision to lead the Israeli delegation to the UNGA session. He calls on Abbas to restart negotiations with him in New York that would be continued in Jerusalem...

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  • September 6, 2011

    Obama Middle East adviser Dennis Ross and acting U.S. special envoy to the Middle East peace process David Hale arrive in the region for 2 days of mtgs. with Israeli and Palestinian officials...

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  • August 16, 2011

    As the quarter opens, Israel maintains a tight siege on Hamas-controlled Gaza, imposing a 300-meter no-go zone inside the full length of the Gaza border and limiting the Palestinian fishing zone...

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  • August 11, 2011

    Israel’s Interior Min. gives final approval for the construction of the 1,600 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo settlement in East Jerusalem that were first announced during U.S. VP Joe Biden’s...

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  • August 4, 2011

    The Obama admin. invites Palestinian officials to Washington to discuss conditions under which they might drop their UN statehood bid. The PA says chief negotiator Saeb Erakat and Abbas spokesman...

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  • August 3, 2011

    The small Salafist group, Abdullah Azzam Brigades fires 2 Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage to a road in 1 instance but no injuries. Late at night, the IDF retaliates with 2...

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  • August 2, 2011

    The Israeli High Court orders the government to remove Migron, the largest unauthorized settlement outpost in the West Bank (300 settlers in 60 mobile homes on private Palestinian land) by the end...

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  • August 1, 2011

    Ramadan begins. Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly injuring 1 bedouin woman. Late at night, the IDF retaliates with air strikes on a smuggling tunnel on...

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  • July 31, 2011

    Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. During the day, the IDF raids Jayyus village nr. Qalqilya, firing tear gas and stun grenades at...

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  • July 28, 2011

    Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF drops troops from helicopters into an open area nr. Jenin, searching...

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  • July 26, 2011

    The IDF makes a brief incursion into s. Gaza to level lands and clear lines of sight along the border fence e. of al-Qarara. In the West Bank, the IDF begins leveling land for construction of a...

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  • July 20, 2011

    The IDF conducts arrest raids, searches in Hebron during the day and nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Nablus late at night. The Knesset fails to pass (by a vote of 28-57) 2 bills calling for parliamentary...

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  • July 19, 2011

    The Israeli navy intercepts the French Freedom Flotilla II boat as it nears Gaza, boarding it after it refuses orders to change direction; the activists onboard are detained without resistance....

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  • July 16, 2011

    Unidentified Palestinians fire 4 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel during the day (1 early in the morning and 3 late at night), causing no damage or injuries. Israeli naval vessels fire on...

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  • July 12, 2011

    Israel’s Interior Min. issues building permits for construction of the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance on the site of the ancient Mamilla cemetery in Jerusalem, saying work can begin...

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  • July 11, 2011

    At EU urging, the Quartet convenes a senior-level mtg. in Washington to discuss issuing a statement on how to jumpstart the peace process, but because of sharp disagreements over a draft prepared...

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  • July 3, 2011

    A Freedom Flotilla II boat manages to depart from Corsica but is detained before it reaches international waters. Unidentified Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or...

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  • June 19, 2011

    Israel’s homefront command begins a 5-day civil defense drill to test Israel’s emergency response to a massive missile attack. The IDF shoots, wounds, and arrests a Palestinian nr. the Israeli...

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  • June 6, 2011

    In Washington, U.S. Secy. of State Clinton holds separate mtgs. with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators and French FM Alain Juppé to discuss a French proposal to revive peace talks. (AFP, REU 6/6...

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  • June 5, 2011

    On Naksa Day, commemorating the 1967 war, IDF troops open fire on 100s of unarmed Palestinian refugees and supporters inside Syria who try to cross a trench and earthen berm 150 m. on the approach...

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  • June 1, 2011

    Hamas officials in Gaza say that since 5/30, Egypt has returned a high number of travelers to Gaza and imposed new limitations on the number of Palestinians allowed to enter and exit via the Rafah...

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  • May 28, 2011

    Egypt reopens the Rafah crossing as planned, permitting most Palestinians to cross freely for the first time in 4 yrs. (men ages 18–40 are the only group required to secure visas to enter Egypt)....

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  • April 13, 2011

    The donor’s Ad Hoc Liaison Comm. meets in Brussels to receive the PA’s 3-yr. policy and economic agenda for 2011–13. (World Bank press release 4/7; JTA 4/3)

    Israel reopens the Kerem Shalom...

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  • April 12, 2011

    In Gaza, 4 Palestinians die, 5 are injured in a smuggling tunnel collapse. The small Salafist group Tawhid and Jihad claims to fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, but the IDF says it has no...

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  • April 5, 2011

    In the morning, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fatally shoot 1 Palestinian who approaches the border fence for unclear reasons; there are no reports he was armed and no faction claims him as a...

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  • April 4, 2011

    Israeli pres. Shimon Peres arrives in Washington for a 3-day visit. He meets today with Secy. of State Clinton; no details are released. (WJW 4/7)

    Israel’s Jerusalem planning comm. gives...

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  • March 26, 2011

    Early in the morning Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Later in the day, Hamas announces it has secured the agreement of other factions to renew...

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  • March 23, 2011

    Overnight, Israel makes an air strike on Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian preparing to fire a rocket into Israel. Between dawn and mid-morning, Islamic Jihad fires 3 manufactured Grad rockets fr. Gaza...

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The last U.S. combat troops pull out of Iraq 2 wks. ahead of Obama’s 12/31/11 target date; 1,000s of U.S. diplomats and contractors remain in the country, as well as 150 U.S. soldiers tasked to train Iraqi security forces. (National Public Radio, REU 12/18; NYT 12/19)

Israel frees 550 Palestinian prisoners in the 2d stage of the swap that freed IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit in 10/2011; 41 are released to Gaza, more than 500 to the West Bank, a few to East Jerusalem and Jordan. Under the terms of the deal, Israel picked which prisoners to free and picked mostly Fatahaffiliated West Bankers as a gesture to Abbas; none are mbrs. of Hamas or Islamic Jihad or were involved in killing or wounding anyone; Palestinians complain that “many of those being released were due to get out within months anyway. . . . If Israel had wanted to make a real good-will gesture, the list would have been totally different.” (NYT, WP 12/19)

Stone-throwing Palestinian youths clash with IDF at the Beitunia checkpoint where some of the Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel are released, leaving 10s of Palestinians and 1 IDF soldier injured. Elsewhere in the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Jenin in the morning and in 3 villages nr. Jenin, Qalqilya, and Salfit in the evening (firing tear gas at stone-throwing youths in Jenin); makes a brief incursion into Qalqilya where they set up 2 checkpoints, detain 2 PA security forces officers for several hours, and summon 1 Palestinian for questioning. Jewish settlers block a Palestinian road nr. Moshe Zouhar settlement outpost nr. Qalqilya. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the Gaza City shore, detaining 1 boat and questioning 4 Palestinians (3 are released, 1 is sent to Israel for an unrelated medical issue). Gaza’s Interior Min. drops requirements for Gazans to register in advance of leaving Gaza through the Rafah crossing. The Israeli Housing Min. published tenders for construction of 1,028 Jewish settlement units in East Jerusalem (500 in Har Homa, 348 in Beitar Ilit, and 180 in Givat Ze’ev). The Gaza Central Drug Store receives an urgent shipment of medicine and supplies fr. the West Bank, enough to replenish its stores for several weeks (see 12/6/12). (HA 12/18; NYT, WP 12/19; PCHR 12/22; OCHA 12/23)

IDF chief of staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz announces that in light of the dramatically increasing number of covert foreign operations Israel has undertaken in the past year, the Israeli DMin. has formed a new operational branch called the Depth Corps specifically to handle special operations “deep in enemy territory.” The new branch (separate fr. the existing Northern, Southern, and Central Commands) will be headed by former special operations commander Maj. Gen. Shai Avital and will pull and coordinate resources fr. the military’s various elite commando units on an ad hoc basis, depending on the mission. While Israel does not confirm or deny covert operations abroad, media reports over the past year have indicated that Israel has carried out operations in Sudan (targeting arms traffic to Hizballah and Hamas), Iran, Lebanon, and Syria. According to HA, since most recent covert ops have targeted Iran, IDF insiders often refer to the Depth Corps as “Iran Command.” (AFP, IHY 12/16; HA 12/18; JPI 2/10)

Hamas leader Mishal and PA pres. and Fatah head Abbas meet for 2 hrs. in Cairo to hold the 1st detailed talks since 8/2011 on implementing their 5/2011 national unity deal (see QU in JPS 161). They approve a 2-page document (leaked to AFP on 11/24, which publishes excerpts, but not released publicly) reiterating their commitment to the main elements of the 5/2011 accord, agreeing to observe a truce in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (including halting political arrests), vowing to increase “popular resistance” to oppose Israel’s settlement expansion and construction of the separation wall, and pledging that the factions would agree on the “style” of popular resistance and form “a framework to direct it.” In an interview with AFP later in the day, Mishal clarifies that Hamas believes in both armed and popular resistance, stating “armed struggle is our right. How we use it, and when we use it, is something different.” Mishal and Abbas fail, however, to resolve key issues regarding composition of an interim unity government and elections. Though both call the meeting positive, sources say (e.g., WP 11/25) that the meeting “raised new questions about whether the rivals are serious about working together or just going through the motions.” (AFP 11/24; NHR, NYT, WP, WT 11/25; WP 12/22)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers working their fields nr. the no-go zone, forcing them to flee. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them back to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF troops operating in the Hebron area demolish a mosque, 2 Palestinian homes, a rabbit farm, and a generator and block up a cave used as an agricultural storeroom in Yatta village; demolish 1 Palestinian home, 3 wells, and 3 agricultural storehouses in Ithna village; bulldoze a residential tent and an animal pen in Khirbat Susia. The IDF also patrols in 5 villages nr. Jenin (1 village is entered twice; 3 villages are entered simultaneously) and 3 villages nr. Qalqilya (2 villages are entered simultaneously). (PCHR 12/1; OCHA 12/2)

Netanyahu announces a last-minute decision to lead the Israeli delegation to the UNGA session. He calls on Abbas to restart negotiations with him in New York that would be continued in Jerusalem and Ramallah upon their return, giving no details on the basis for relaunching talks. Senior Palestinian official Hussam Zumlut reiterates that the Palestinian leadership is ready to consider any “serious and credible” proposal to resume talks, meaning it must include a settlement freeze and acceptance of the terms of reference of the previous agreements. (HA, WP 9/20)

Obama begins a 3-day diplomatic push at the UN in NY, meant to “express our support for a negotiated, two-state solution.” (AFP, WP 9/19)

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore and confiscating several nets left behind. A 14-yr.-old Palestinian child dies of injuries sustained in an 8/19/11 Israeli air strike on Gaza City. In the West Bank, the IDF uproots 500 olive, fig, and almond trees in Dayr Istya village nr. Salfit, saying they were planted on state land (see 9/14); patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Qalqilya in the morning; conducts late-night patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho and Salfit; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Nur Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm. Jewish settlers attempt to set up tents on the evacuated Homesh settlement site, but are removed by the IDF. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar settlement nr. Nablus burn 10s of dunams of Palestinian agricultural land nr. Asira Qibliyya village. (WT 9/21; PCHR 9/22; OCHA 9/23)

The Israeli emb. in Cairo reopens after a 10-day shutdown, but the amb. has not returned. (NYT 9/20)

Obama Middle East adviser Dennis Ross and acting U.S. special envoy to the Middle East peace process David Hale arrive in the region for 2 days of mtgs. with Israeli and Palestinian officials regarding the Palestinian statehood bid and a possible Quartet plan to revive negotiations. As they meet first with Israeli pres. Benjamin Netanyahu and DM Barak, U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton phones Abbas, urging him to “work hard with us to avoid a negative scenario in New York at the end of the month.” (AFP, Bloomberg, NYT 9/6; WP 9/7)

\Overnight, unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In retaliation, the IDF carries out an air strike on a suspected weapons depot in Gaza, causing no reported injuries. Later in the day, the IDF makes a brief incursion into s. Gaza nr. Khan Yunis, exchanging fire with PRC mbrs., causing no initial injuries; when the PRCs. fire mortars toward soldiers, the IDF replies with gunfire fr. a helicopter, killing 1 PRC mbr. and wounding 3 bystanders. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Tulkarm. (IFM 9/6; NYT 9/7; PCHR 9/8; OCHA 9/9)

As the quarter opens, Israel maintains a tight siege on Hamas-controlled Gaza, imposing a 300-meter no-go zone inside the full length of the Gaza border and limiting the Palestinian fishing zone off Gaza to 500–1,000 m. off Bayt Lahiya and Rafah and 3 naut. mi. elsewhere. In the West Bank, governed by the Fatahled Palestinian Authority (PA), Israeli military operations are relatively low. Israeli troops on the Gaza border fatally shoot a mentally handicapped Palestinian teenager who approaches the border fence e. of Dayr al-Balah in c. Gaza. In the West Bank, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) patrols 6 villages nr. Jericho, Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Tulkarm during the day and 2 villages nr. Jenin and Ramallah late at night. An Israeli military court says it is holding Samer Allawi, a senior Palestinian journalist who serves as al-Jazeera satellite network’s Kabul bureau chief, on suspicion of being a Hamas mbr. but has not yet indicted him; the IDF confirms that it detained him on 8/9/11 at a border crossing to Jordan when he attempted leave the West Bank, where he had visited family in Nablus; Allawi denies any Hamas connection. (AFP 8/16; JTA, WP, WT 8/17; PCHR 8/18; OCHA 8/19)

Israel’s Interior Min. gives final approval for the construction of the 1,600 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo settlement in East Jerusalem that were first announced during U.S. VP Joe Biden’s visit to Israel in 3/2010 (see Quarterly Update in JPS 156). The ministry says it also intends to give final approval to another 2,700 new units in East Jerusalem’s Givat HaMatos and Pisgat Ze’ev settlements in response to the recent popular protests in Israel that have demanded, among other things, more and cheaper housing. The U.S. says “unilateral action of this kind works against our [peace] efforts.” Israel’s Peace Now accuses the government of “exploiting the housing crisis in Israel to promote its settlement policy” with the intention of undermining the peace process. (NYT, WP 8/12; PCHR 8/18; OCHA 8/19)

In Gaza, a mbr. of Hamas’s Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades is killed in a “mysterious explosion” in Rafah. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning and in 1 nr. Jericho late at night; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah and Tubas. In Nablus, 1,200 international activists fr. 22 countries take part in a peace rally in solidarity with the Palestinians; the event was organized by Los Angles Cable International Center in coordination with Nablus’s governor. (AFP 8/11)

The Obama admin. invites Palestinian officials to Washington to discuss conditions under which they might drop their UN statehood bid. The PA says chief negotiator Saeb Erakat and Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina will head to Washington soon. (JP 8/4)

As a gesture to the PA to mark the start of Ramadan, Israel releases 200 Palestinian prisoners who were set to complete their sentences soon, including senior Hamas official Shaykh Hassan Yousef (arrested in 2006 and set for release in 9/2011). At the same time, however, Israel’s Interior Min. gives final approval for the construction of 930 new settlement housing units in East Jerusalem’s Har Homa/Jabal Abu Ghunaym. Meanwhile, the PA orders its security forces to prevent violence after the UN vote in 9/2011 and informs Israel of its intention to keep the peace and avoid confrontation. In Gaza, unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF retaliates late at night with 2 artillery shells and 7 air strikes on 5 Hamas sites in c. and s. Gaza, injuring 2 Hamas mbrs. and killing 500 chicks at a poultry farm. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm, 2 nr. Ramallah, and 1 nr. Jericho; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Tulkarm. (AFP, HA, JTA, MNA, WAFA, YA 8/4; PCHR 8/11; OCHA 8/12)

The small Salafist group, Abdullah Azzam Brigades fires 2 Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage to a road in 1 instance but no injuries. Late at night, the IDF retaliates with 2 air strikes on alleged Hamas training facilities in Gaza City and 1 on a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, injuring 2 Palestinian children. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Tulkarm. (AFP, JTA, PCHR 8/4; PCHR 8/11; OCHA 8/12)

The Israeli High Court orders the government to remove Migron, the largest unauthorized settlement outpost in the West Bank (300 settlers in 60 mobile homes on private Palestinian land) by the end of 3/2012. In an Israeli military court, 2 Palestinian teenagers fr. Awarta plead guilty to murdering a Jewish settler family in Itamar on 3/11/11; sentencing is not expected until 9/2011. (AFP, JP, REU 8/2; JTA, WP 8/3; PCHR 8/4; OCHA 8/5; JPI 8/12)

Ramadan begins. Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly injuring 1 bedouin woman. Late at night, the IDF retaliates with air strikes on a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border and a “terrorist center” in n. Gaza, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF searches a home in Issawiyya in the morning; conducts synchronized raids into 3 villages e. of Qalqilya, searching several homes and summoning 4 Palestinians for interrogation; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Umar. (AFP 8/1; AFP, JP, REU, YA 8/2; PCHR 8/4; OCHA 8/5)

Israeli and Lebanese troops briefly exchange fire across their common border, causing no injuries. Lebanese troops fired first, believing the IDF patrol strayed into Lebanese territory, though the IDF denies this. (DS 8/1; NYT, WP 8/2; WJW 8/5; JPI 8/12)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. During the day, the IDF raids Jayyus village nr. Qalqilya, firing tear gas and stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no injuries, and raids and searches several homes in ‘Azun, making no arrests. In the evening, the IDF conducts synchronized raids into 3 villages nr. Salfit, searching homes but making no arrests. Late at night, the IDF enters Qalandia r.c., opening fire with live ammunition on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them, killing 2 Palestinians and wounding 1. The IDF also conducts late-night house searches nr. Bethlehem. (AFP 7/31; NYT, WP 8/2; PCHR 8/4; OCHA 8/5)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF drops troops from helicopters into an open area nr. Jenin, searching the area for some time before withdrawing; patrols in 4 villages nr. Jericho, Ramallah, and Tulkarm; enters a village nr. Hebron to arrest 2 Palestinian children for hurting cattle on a nearby Jewish settlement; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Tubas, detaining Hamas-affiliated PC mbr. Khalid Abu Tous. A day after a PA court rejected an appeal challenging Fatah’s 6/12 decision to expel Dahlan from the party, PA security forces raid Dahlan’s Ramallah home, arresting 23 guards and assistants and confiscating 16 guns, a computer, and 2 cars; Dahlan is currently in Jordan. (AFP, MNA, WAFA, YA 7/28; WP 7/29; PCHR 8/4; OCHA 8/5; see also AFP 7/27)

The IDF makes a brief incursion into s. Gaza to level lands and clear lines of sight along the border fence e. of al-Qarara. In the West Bank, the IDF begins leveling land for construction of a new segment of the separation wall nr. al-Walaja nr. Bethlehem; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Jenin r.c. Hamas authorities in Gaza hang 2 Palestinians convicted of collaborating with Israel; the father and son were arrested in 2003 and convicted and sentenced in 2004 by the Fatah-led PA. (WP 7/27; PCHR 7/28; OCHA 7/29)

The U.S. for the first time explicitly states that it would veto a UN resolution endorsing Palestinian statehood. (JAZ, NYT 7/27)

In Lebanon, unidentified assailants detonate a roadside bomb nr. a UNIFIL convoy outside Sidon, wounding 5 French soldiers. Hizballah condemns the attack. (AFP, DPA 7/26; WT 7/27; DPA 7/28) (see 5/27)

The IDF conducts arrest raids, searches in Hebron during the day and nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Nablus late at night. The Knesset fails to pass (by a vote of 28-57) 2 bills calling for parliamentary inquiries into leftwing NGOs: one bill calls for an investigation of the damage done to the IDF by left-wing NGOs that focus on IDF repression of Palestinians; the other calls for investigating the origins of foreign contributions received by left-wing NGOs. (AFP, HA, JTA 7/20; PCHR 7/21, 7/28; JPI, OCHA 7/29)

The Israeli navy intercepts the French Freedom Flotilla II boat as it nears Gaza, boarding it after it refuses orders to change direction; the activists onboard are detained without resistance. Unidentified Palestinians fire a rocket from Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF responds with air strikes on several Hamas targets nr. Gaza City, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF dismantles an irrigation network watering 25 d. of Palestinian agricultural land along a settlers-only bypass road nr. Hebron; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus. (AFP, JP, NYT, PCHR, WAFA, WP, WT 7/20; OCHA 7/22)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 4 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel during the day (1 early in the morning and 3 late at night), causing no damage or injuries. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. A Palestinian is fatally electrocuted in a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF fires tear gas and stun grenades to disperse Palestinians staging a nonviolent march in Iraq Burin to protest confiscation of their lands for the expansion of local Jewish settlements, causing no serious injuries; conducts daytime patrols in Jericho and 1 village nr. Qalqilya; conducts latenight patrols in Bayt Liqya; and conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. (YA 7/16; AFP, JP, JTA, YA 7/17; PCHR 7/20; OCHA 7/22)

Israel’s Interior Min. issues building permits for construction of the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance on the site of the ancient Mamilla cemetery in Jerusalem, saying work can begin immediately; Palestinians denounce approval of the plans to desecrate a Muslim historic site. Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, lightly damaging 1 home but causing no injuries. The IDF responds with air strikes on 2 suspected weapons factories in n. Gaza, causing no reported injuries. Israeli naval vessels twice fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a dawn incursion into al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Tubas, fatally shooting a Palestinian who flees when he sees approaching troops; patrols in Jericho and 2 villages nr. Ramallah. (YA 7/12; AFP, HA, JTA, YA 7/13; PCHR 7/14; OCHA 7/15; JPI 7/22)

At EU urging, the Quartet convenes a senior-level mtg. in Washington to discuss issuing a statement on how to jumpstart the peace process, but because of sharp disagreements over a draft prepared by the U.S. in consultation with Israel, the members fail to issue a statement. (AFP 7/11; AP 7/12; WJW 7/14; Foreign Policy [online] 7/22; WJW 8/5) 

Unidentified assailants attack Egypt’s natural gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan again (see 7/4). In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a grocery store, sheep farm, and garage on land in al-Jib village nr. Jerusalem, strategically located between Givat Ze’ev and Givon settlements; declares a Palestinian olive grove in the Wadi Qana area nr. Salfit a closed military zone and uproots 600 trees; patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah, 2 nr. Salfit, and 1 nr. Jenin; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c. and in Qalqilya. The World Zionist Organization’s settlement division (newly transferred to Netanyahu’s control; see 6/19) allocates 54,000 d. of agricultural land to 21 Jewish settlements in Jordan Valley, nearly doubling the total farmland under their control to 110,000 d.; it also increases water allocations to Jewish farmers in the Jordan Valley. (JP 6/28; WP 7/12; PCHR 7/14; OCHA 7/15)

The Knesset passes (47-38) into law a bill that would sanction individuals and organizations that call for a boycott of Israel or its settlements, denying them tax breaks and barring them from working for the government. The Knesset’s legal adviser warns, however, that the measure is “borderline illegal” since it strays into the right to free political expression. Human rights groups plan to challenge the law in the High Court within days. (HA, JTA, MNA 7/11; JTA, WJW 7/14; JPI, WP 7/22)

A Freedom Flotilla II boat manages to depart from Corsica but is detained before it reaches international waters. Unidentified Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In retaliation, the IDF makes an air strike on a smuggling tunnel on the n. Gaza border with Israel, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Hebron and 3 villages nr. Qalqilya during the day, without incident; patrols in Tulkarm in the afternoon, randomly stopping and searching Palestinian vehicles; patrols in ‘Azun in the afternoon, detaining 2 Palestinian teenagers for several hours; patrols in Bayt Liqya at night, firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them, causing no serious injuries. (AFP 7/3; WP, WT 7/4; JP 7/6; PCHR 7/7; OCHA 7/8)

Fayyad says the PA will pay government employees only half their salaries for 7/2011 because of “the failure of donors, including our Arab brothers, to fulfill their pledges.” He calls the situation “without a doubt, the worst financial crisis the [PA] has ever faced.” (NYT 7/4; 7/28)

Israel’s homefront command begins a 5-day civil defense drill to test Israel’s emergency response to a massive missile attack. The IDF shoots, wounds, and arrests a Palestinian nr. the Israeli military liaison office in Qalqilya, claiming he attempted to stab a soldier; enters Tulkarm (area A) in the morning, setting up a checkpoint outside a college and randomly stopping and questioning students, withdrawing later in the day; patrols during the day in 4 villages nr. Jericho and Qalqilya and late at night in Jericho; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem and Tulkarm. (AFP, HA, JTA 6/19; PCHR 6/23; OCHA 6/24)

The Israeli cabinet approves moving the World Zionist Organization’s settlement division from under the control of the Agriculture Min. to under the control of the Prime Minister’s Office; the division has an annual budget of $7.25 m. for developing West Bank settlements (much of which has gone to unauthorized settlement outposts since 2005) and $14 m. for developing the Galilee and Negev. (AFP, HA, JTA 6/19)

In Washington, U.S. Secy. of State Clinton holds separate mtgs. with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators and French FM Alain Juppé to discuss a French proposal to revive peace talks. (AFP, REU 6/6)

In Gaza, 1 Palestinian is killed when a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border collapses. The IDF raids ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c. nr. Nablus to arrest Hamas-affiliated PC mbr. Ahmad al-Haj Ali; raids and searches the Hamas-affiliated Change and Reform party offices in Nablus, confiscating a computer and files; raids Anabta’s municipal electricity dept., arresting 1 employee; patrols during the day in 3 villages nr. Qalqilya and 1 nr. Jenin; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Jenin and nr. Tulkarm. Jewish settlers fr. Karme Tzur nr. Hebron set fire to 3 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of nearby Palestinian grape arbors and crops. A small group of Palestinian protesters attempts to approach the Golan border fence as part of the Naksa commemoration (see 6/5) but is halted by a Syrian army contingent. (NYT, WP 6/7; PCHR 6/9; OCHA 6/10)

In Syria’s Yarmuk r.c. near Damascus, 10,000s of angry Palestinian mourners at the funerals for some of those killed in the Naksa Day clashes on 6/5 attack the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine—General Command (PFLP-GC) headquarters and drive away Hamas leader Khalid Mishal and the PFLP-GC head Ahmad Jibril, who had come to express condolences, denouncing camp leaders for inciting the camp youths and putting them in harm’s way to be used as “cannon fodder” against Israel. PFLP-GC members open fire on protesters, sparking clashes that leave 14 dead and 43 injured. (MNA, WAFA 6/6; DailyKos.com, DS, Electronic Intifada, HA, Indymedia.com 6/7)

Palestinian refugees in Lebanon’s ‘Ayn al-Hilwa r.c. also demonstrate (6/6) against the killing of Naksa Day protesters on the Syrian border on 6/5, but it is unclear to what degree the protests are against Israel, Syria, or the Palestinian leadership. (WP 6/7)

On Naksa Day, commemorating the 1967 war, IDF troops open fire on 100s of unarmed Palestinian refugees and supporters inside Syria who try to cross a trench and earthen berm 150 m. on the approach to the border fence nr. the town of Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights. Syrian authorities report 22 killed and more than 350 wounded, possibly marking the worst violence on the Syrian border since the 1973 war; Israel says the numbers are exaggerated, however. More protests are held inside Syria nr. the border at Qunaytra; the IDF fires tear gas and percussion grenades when protesters begin to march toward the border, but no injuries are reported. In the West Bank, the IDF clashes with up to 200 stone-throwing Palestinian protesters at the Qalandia crossing (using tear gas and percussion grenades to disperse them) and blocks Palestinian marchers fr. approaching Elon Moreh settlement nr. Nablus. In Gaza, Hamas-affiliated police block 10s (possibly 100s) of demonstrators fr. approaching the Erez crossing. Overall, protests are much smaller than the Nakba Day demonstrations on 5/13–15, with no protests reported in Egypt, Jordan, or Lebanon. Meanwhile, the IDF conducts morning patrols in 4 villages nr. Qalqilya, Salfit, and Tulkarm; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Azun and Nur Shams r.c. By this date, the IDF has also arrested Fatah PC mbr. Hussam Khader in a raid on Nablus. (AFP, AP, IsRN, KUNA, MNA, The Media Line [online] 6/5; NYT, WP, WT 6/6; PCHR 6/9; OCHA 6/10; WT 6/15; PCHR 6/16; OCHA 6/24)

Hamas officials in Gaza say that since 5/30, Egypt has returned a high number of travelers to Gaza and imposed new limitations on the number of Palestinians allowed to enter and exit via the Rafah crossing, keeping the number to between 350 and 400/day entering Egypt (up only slightly from the average 300/day in recent mos.) and effectively undoing Egypt’s “permanent opening”. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids into Dayr al-Ghusun village to arrest Hamas-affiliate PC mbr. ‘Abd al-Rahman Zidan, into Balata r.c. to arrest Fatah PC mbr. Yasir al-Badrasawi, and into Nablus to arrest local Hamas leader Ghassan Thougan; conducts other late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem. More than 40,000 Israeli Jews march through East Jerusalem to mark Jerusalem Day, celebrating Israel’s seizure of the Arab part of the city during the 1967 war. (AFP 6/1; JP, REU 6/1; NYT, PCHR, WP 6/2; PCHR 6/9; OCHA 6/10)

Egypt reopens the Rafah crossing as planned, permitting most Palestinians to cross freely for the first time in 4 yrs. (men ages 18–40 are the only group required to secure visas to enter Egypt). Unidentified Palestinians fire a homemade Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel for the 1st time since 4/18, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF bars Palestinian farmers fr. working their land nr. Bet Ayn settlement nr. Hebron; conducts late-night patrols in Bil‘in, sounding sirens and firing stun and flash grenades to intimidate residents; conducts late-night patrols without incident in Qalqilya; makes late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Aqabat Jabir r.c. nr. Jericho and Nur Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm. The IDF also fires tear gas, stun grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists staging a nonviolent march through Iraq Burin village nr. Nablus to nearby Brakha settlement to protest the settlers’ seizure of village lands to expand the settlement; 3 internationals are arrested. (AFP 5/28; MNA, NYT, WP 5/29; PCHR 6/2; OCHA 6/3)

In Qatar, Abbas briefs Arab League FMs on the recent speeches by Obama and Netanyahu. The FMs agree to support the Palestinians’ UN statehood bid in absence of a viable alterative. Abbas then goes to Cairo to brief Egypt’s acting government. (REU, WAFA 5/28; MENA 5/30)

The donor’s Ad Hoc Liaison Comm. meets in Brussels to receive the PA’s 3-yr. policy and economic agenda for 2011–13. (World Bank press release 4/7; JTA 4/3)

Israel reopens the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing into Gaza (closed since 4/6). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Dayr Istya nr. Salfit. (PCHR 4/14, 4/21; OCHA 4/29)

An Israeli tank briefly enters a disputed border area with Lebanon nr. Adayssa village after Lebanese picking herbs and flowers in the zone triggered an alert. (AFP 4/14)

In Gaza, 4 Palestinians die, 5 are injured in a smuggling tunnel collapse. The small Salafist group Tawhid and Jihad claims to fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, but the IDF says it has no record of any incidents. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. nr. Jericho in the morning; conducts late-night patrols in Jericho, Salfit, 2 villages nr. Qalqilya, and 1 nr. Ramallah. (AFP 4/12; MNA, NYT 4/13; PCHR 4/14; OCHA 4/15)

In the morning, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fatally shoot 1 Palestinian who approaches the border fence for unclear reasons; there are no reports he was armed and no faction claims him as a mbr. During the day, Hamas convenes Gaza factions to urge them to reimpose a ceasefire. Late in the evening, unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF responds with air strikes on 2 “infiltration tunnels” on the n. Gaza border, lightly to moderately injuring 4 Palestinian bystanders and damaging a recycling center, a construction company, and 11 homes. In the West Bank, the IDF enters Jenin in the afternoon to search the theater run by Mer-Khamis (killed on 4/4) and question locals about his murder. The IDF also patrols in 4 villages nr. Jenin, 3 villages nr. Qalqilya, 1 nr. Ramallah (firing tear gas at stone-throwing youths who confront them), and 1 nr. Tulkarm. The PASF says it has arrested a fmr. al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (AMB) mbr. for suspected involvement in the Mer-Khamis killing. (AFP, JP, XIN 4/5; IsRN 4/6; PCHR 4/7; OCHA 4/15)

Israeli pres. Shimon Peres arrives in Washington for a 3-day visit. He meets today with Secy. of State Clinton; no details are released. (WJW 4/7)

Israel’s Jerusalem planning comm. gives preliminary approval for 942 new settlement housing units in Gilo and the Israeli DMin. announces that it has finished new zoning plans for several West Bank Jewish settlements, retroactively legalizing construction already underway. The State Dept. expresses “deep concern,” stating that the “Israeli settlements [are] illegitimate” and “Israel’s actions run counter to efforts to resume direct negotiations.” Israel charges Gazan engineer Abu Sisi (see 3/10) with developing rockets for Hamas and establishing a “military academy” in Gaza to train Hamas commanders. Hamas and Abu Sisi deny the charges. In Jenin r.c., unidentified assailants fatally shoot Israeli actor Juliano Mer-Khamis (half Jewish and half Palestinian) who runs a theater troop for Palestinian children in the camp (see Quarterly Update for details). Meanwhile, the IDF patrols in ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. nr. Jericho in the morning and in 4 villages nr. Jenin and Qalqilya in the afternoon; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Awarta (possibly in connection with the 3/11 Itamar murders). Jewish settlers fr. Taffuh settlement attempt to fence off a nearby plot of Palestinian land; the PA district liaison intervenes with the IDF, which removes the settlers but leaves the fencing marking off the land in place. (AFP, HA, MNA, YA 4/4; NYT, WP, WT 4/5; WP 4/6; NYT, PCHR 4/7; OCHA 4/15)

Early in the morning Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Later in the day, Hamas announces it has secured the agreement of other factions to renew observance of a cease-fire against Israel except in cases in which Israeli forces initiate aggression or cross into Gaza. In the evening, however, unidentified Palestinians fire a 3d rocket that lands harmlessly in Israel, but raises questions over whether the cease-fire is secure. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Qalqilya and 1 nr. Ramallah. Palestinians, with Israeli and international activists, conduct a nonviolent march through Bayt Umar to protest recent IDF raids on the town; the IDF fires tear gas and stun grenades at them, causing no serious injuries; 1 Palestinian, 1 Israeli, and 1 international activist are arrested. (AFP, IsRN, JP 3/26; NYT 3/27; PCHR 3/31; OCHA 4/1)

Abbas holds talks with 7 West Bank Hamas officials in Ramallah, proposing creation of a temporary unity govt. with the sole mandate of organizing legislative and presidential elections within 6 mos., after which the 1st priority would be to rebuild Gaza. The meeting marks the 1st of a series of Fatah-Hamas reconciliation talks that take place over the next month in the West Bank, Gaza, Egypt, and Syria. (MNA, NYT, WP 3/27)

Overnight, Israel makes an air strike on Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian preparing to fire a rocket into Israel. Between dawn and mid-morning, Islamic Jihad fires 3 manufactured Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage and slightly injuring 1 Israeli. Later, unidentified Palestinians fire 7 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, some of which allegedly contain white phosphorous, causing no damage or injuries. Late in the evening, the IDF carries out several air strikes on training sites, rocket launching sites, and smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border, causing no reported injuries. In the afternoon, suspected Palestinian assailants leave a bomb nr. Jerusalem’s central bus station and convention center that detonates, killing 1 British woman, injuring 38 Israelis; the PA immediately condemns the incident; no group claims responsibility. In the West Bank, the IDF blocks a funeral procession fr. using a main road in Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron, sparking a clash in which 2 Palestinian mourners are wounded by live ammunition and 4 are arrested. Hours later, the IDF sends undercover units into Bayt Umar to raid and search a gas station, beating the owners and confiscating a computer. Several hours after that, the IDF returns to block the main entrance of the village with cement blocks and sand barriers. The IDF also patrols in Jericho (photographing the Intercontinental Hotel) and 3 villages nr. Ramallah; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and in Tulkarm. (AFP, HA, IFM, IsRN, JTA, MNA, REU, YA 3/23; IsRN, JP, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 3/24; NYT, WT 3/25; PCHR 3/31; JPI, OCHA 4/1)

In Syria, security forces make a predawn assault on the main mosque in Dara‘a, where antigovernment protesters have taken refuge, killing 15. Clashes last throughout the day and spread to 4 nearby villages. Over the succeeding days, clashes spread to towns and villages across the nation, becoming nr. daily events but remaining relatively small (in the 1,000s) and uncoordinated. Hot spots include Baniyas, Hama, Homs, Idlib, Latakia (which was reported to be “near anarchy”), and the Kurdish zone. (Only a few protests are reported in Damascus.) Govt. forces routinely dispersed the rallies, violently killing around 100 nationwide by 4/4. Meanwhile, Syrian activists mobilize through online social networking sites to call for mass protests every Friday until the regime falls. (NYT, SANA 3/23; NYT, WP, WT 3/24; NYT, WP 3/26–28; NYT, WP, WT 3/29; NYT, WP 3/30; NYT, WP 3/31, 4/1; NYT 4/2, 4/3; NYT, WP 4/4; WT 4/5; NYT, WP 4/6; NYT 4/7; NYT, WP 4/8; WP 4/9; NYT, WP 4/9, 4/10)