The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently disperse Palestinian protesters gathering outside Ofer Prison in solidarity with imprisoned Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi; there are no serious injuries. They shoot and injure 2 Palestinians during minor clashes near Ramallah. Israeli border police arrest a Palestinian, allegedly for carrying a bomb into a courthouse near Bethlehem. The IDF arrests 5 more Palestinians during late-night raids in Qalqilya and near Salfit, Jenin, and Hebron; and patrols near Hebron and Tulkarm. More than 20 Israeli settlers enter a Palestinian school in Burin village near Nablus, sparking clashes with stone-throwing students; 2 students are injured and 2 Palestinian vehicles are damaged. The settlers claim that some students from Burin threw stones at their cars earlier in the day. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid in Issawiyya. In 4 separate incidents off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Bayt Lahiya and Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries (2 fishermen are arrested). Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmlands near Dayr al-Balah, causing no serious damage. (IMEMC, MNA, TOI, WAFA 12/28; PCHR 1/4)

PA FM al-Maliki says that the Palestinian leadership has decided to request, at a summit planned for 1/6 in Amman, the implementation of the Amman Summit resolutions of 1980, which stipulated a political and economic boycott of any country that moves its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. He also says that the PA will lobby in countries where Israeli diplomats are pressing governments to move their embassies to Jerusalem, and that they will wait for a new composition of the UNSC before resubmitting their application for full membership at the UN. (WAFA, WP 12/28)

Israeli police shoot and kill a Palestinian youth outside the Old City of Jerusalem after he allegedly stabs and injures 2 of them. Israeli forces then raid the alleged attacker’s home in Jabal Mukabir, sparking minor clashes with residents of the area; 5 Palestinians are arrested. Elsewhere in East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 8 Palestinians during raids in Silwan. In the West Bank, hundreds of Palestinians gather in Ramallah to protest the PASF’s violent assault on protesters on 3/12, and to call for PA pres. Abbas to end security coordination with Israel and resign. Meanwhile, IDF troops arrest 13 Palestinians during raids nr. Jenin, Hebron, Nablus, and Bethlehem; and patrol nr. Hebron and Ramallah. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops arrest 3 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel. (HA, IMEMC, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/13; EI 3/14; PCHR 3/16)

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) announces that it will not be participating in the municipal elections set for 5/13 in protest of the PA’s repression of demonstrations against security coordination on 3/12. Meanwhile, a PA spokesperson announces that Ramallah’s chief of police Abd al-Latif al-Qaddumi has resigned, but denies that his resignation is coming as a result of the 3/12 protests against PA security coordination with Israel, which were held outside a court in Ramallah and violently dispersed by PA security forces. PM Hamdallah announces that he has appointed a fact-finding comm. to look into the events at the 3/12 protests. (MNA 3/13; JP 3/14)

Jason Greenblatt, U.S. pres. Trump’s special representative for international negotiations, meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu in Jerusalem for 5 hours. According to a joint statement, they discussed settlements “in the hope of working out an approach that is consistent with the goal of advancing peace and security.” Later, Greenblatt meets with senior Palestinian officials in Ramallah, who tell him they are interested in the Trump admin. presenting its own plan for a peace deal. Greenblatt is set to remain in Israel and the oPt all week for more meetings, including with PA pres. Abbas on 3/14. (ALM, HA, JP 3/13; HA, NYT, TOI, WAFA 3/14)

IDF troops clash with stone-throwing Palestinians in Tuqu‘ nr. Bethlehem; 1 Palestinian is killed and at least 6 are injured. Palestinian witnesses say that IDF soldiers dragged the injured Palestinian away from the clashes unnecessarily, exacerbating his injuries. Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli forces begin uprooting 2,000 olive trees nr. Qalqilya to clear space for a settler bypass road in the area. Dozens of Palestinians and Israeli activists protest the project, and IDF troops arrest 3 people. IDF troops conduct raids in Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron, arresting 1 Palestinian, setting fire to a home, and sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths; there are no serious injuries. They arrest 4 Palestinians on further raids nr. Jenin, and patrol nr. Salfit and Hebron. Israeli forces confiscate 2 tractors nr. Tubas. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya and later nr. Jabaliya r.c.; 5 fishermen are arrested. (IMEMC, MNA, WAFA 1/16; PCHR 1/19)

The UK blocks the EU Foreign Affairs Council from adopting the 1/15 Paris peace conference’s joint declaration, according to European and Israeli diplomats. The UK also refused to sign the statement on 1/15. Hungary and Lithuania also reportedly have reservations about endorsing the statement. (HA 1/16)

IDF troops on the Gaza border arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel nr. Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, Israeli forces detain Nablus gov. Akram Rajoub briefly at a checkpoint nr. the city; confiscate 2 cranes from a construction site s. of Nablus. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians protesting outside Ofer Prison nr. Ramallah ahead of Prisoners’ Day on 4/17, injuring 1. The IDF also conducts house searches and raids in 1 village each nr. Jenin and Hebron, arresting 2 Palestinians; patrols in 2 villages nr. Hebron and 1 nr. Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot out the eye of a Palestinian with a sponge-tipped bullet during clashes sparked by a raid in Issawiyya. The man will lose his eye. (JP, MNA, WAFA 4/16; PCHR 4/23)

Israel’s Supreme Court upholds the 1950 Absentee Property Law, which allows the Israeli govt. to seize property in East Jerusalem if its owners live in the West Bank or Gaza. (HA 4/16; IMEMC 4/17; MNA 4/18)

FMs from 16 of the 28 EU mbr. states sign onto a letter to EU foreign policy chief Mogherini calling for goods produced in the Israeli settlements to be labeled as such in stores across Europe, reiterating public calls by the EU Council in 5/2012, 12/2012, and 11/2014 as well as a similar letter to the previous EU foreign affairs chief in 4/2013. (HA, TOI, YA 4/16; AFP 4/17)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man from al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Tubas succumbs to injuries sustained during an IDF raid of his home in 2008. Israeli forces demolish 5 residences and a sheep barn in a village nr. Hebron; continue leveling land in a village nr. Bethlehem to eventually expand a nearby Israeli industrial zone. IDF troops clash with residents of a village n. of Jerusalem and 1 nr. Ramallah, injuring 9 with rubber-coated metal bullets and arresting 4; violently disperse Palestinian students demonstrating outside Ofer Prison in Ramallah, injuring 7 with rubber-coated metal bullets and arresting 1; 2 Israeli soldiers are lightly injured in the ensuing clashes. The IDF also conducts house searches and raids in 1 village each nr. Jenin, Hebron, and Qalqilya, as well as in Nablus, arresting 4 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 1; patrols in and around Tulkarm, and 1 village nr. Jenin; arrests 2 Palestinians while they are working in an Israeli settlement nr. Bethlehem. Israeli settlers erect 8 mobile homes on Palestinian land s. of Nablus, establishing a settlement outpost; throw stones at a Palestinian’s car nr. Nablus, causing minor damage. Nr. Nablus, armed Palestinians set fire to tires e. of Balata r.c. in protest of the recent PASF crackdown in the area. IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers working nr. the border fence, causing no injuries. Israeli forces also conduct a limited incursion e. of Dayr al-Balah to level land. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces level land in a closed military zone nr. Qalandia, sparking clashes with residents; 9 Palestinians are injured with live ammunition and dozens are lightly injured with rubber-coated metal bullets. Israeli forces also level land on the e. outskirts of Issawiyya, clearing the area for construction of an Israeli national park; demolish temporary bedouin shelters that were funded by the EU. (MNA 3/9; AFP, HA, MNA, WAFA 3/10; AFP, MNA, WAFA 3/11; PCHR 3/12)

A group of Palestinians in Israeli prisons cancels its plans, announced on 3/9, to begin a series of demonstrations on 3/10 in protest of the poor conditions. According to Al Jazeera, the move comes after the group makes a preliminary deal with the Israel Prison Service (IPS), allowing for more frequent family visits, but an IPS official will refute the report on 3/11. (AJ 3/10; JP 3/11; PNN 3/12)

In the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, an IDF officeris lightly injured from gunfire emanating from Syria nr. Qunaytra. Meanwhile, senior United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) official Pierre Krähenbühl accompanies a convoy of aid into Yarmouk r.c. in Syria, the 1st shipment of assistance to the camp’s 18,000 occupants in 3 mos. (HA, JP, TOI, YA 3/10; MNA 3/11)

In Gaza, the chair of Qatar’s Comm. to Rebuild Gaza, Mohammed al-Emadi announces a series of new projects to build 1,000 housing units in Gaza, and that the 1st shipment of materials—4 truckloads of cement—arrived from Israel today. They will be funded through disbursals of the $1 b. Qatar pledged at the 10/12/2014 Gaza reconstruction conference in Cairo. (AFP, NYT 3/10; MEMO, REU 3/11; IMEMC 3/12; YA 3/13)

In the Gaza Strip, unknown assailants destroy the car of a senior Hamas official with explosives in Nussayrat r.c. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, after Palestinian and international activists rebuild the “Gate of Jerusalem” tent camp in Abu Dis, Israeli forces return to the area and deliver a 24-hour eviction notice. Hours later, they demolish and evacuate the camp for a 3d time. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in Jalazun r.c. and 4 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, Silwad, and Ni‘lin), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), injuring 3 Palestinians with rubber-coated metal bullets and 1 with a tear gas canister. IDF troops also arrest 2 Palestinian boys tending sheep nr. Hebron and 3 others tending their land nr. Qalqilya. The IDF patrols nr. Ramallah, Jenin, Hebron, as well as in al-‘Arub r.c. and Salfit. Israeli settlers open fire with live ammunition on Palestinians peacefully protesting nr. Bayt Umar, causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct a house search in Ras al-Amud, arresting 1 Palestinian. (IMEMC, MNA 2/6; TOI 2/7; PCHR 2/12)

Israeli PM Netanyahu orders the implementation of a plan that will include the destruction of around 400 Palestinian-owned and EU-funded structures in the West Bank. The order follows the 2/5 publication of a report in the Daily Mail on EU funding of Palestinian projects that do not have the correct licenses under Israeli law. (DM 2/5; TOI 2/6; WAFA 2/8)

U.S. VP Joseph R. Biden announces that he will not attend Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on 3/3. (AP, JDF 2/6)

On the sidelines of a security conference in Munich, reps. of the P5+1 and Iran discuss Iran’s disputed nuclear program ahead of their end of 3/2015 political accord deadline. U.S. Secy. of State Kerry and Iranian FM Zarif also meet to discuss how sanctions would be lifted under a possible deal and how many centrifuges Iran would be permitted to keep operational. (REU 2/6; JP, TOI 2/7; AFP 2/8)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops on the n. border open fire on 2 Palestinian men trying to enter Israel, injuring and detaining 1. In the West Bank, the IDF arrests 15 Palestinians nr. Qalqilya on charges relating to the 12/25 Molotov cocktail attack. Israeli soldiers shoot and injure 4 Palestinians with rubber-coated metal bullets during clashes nr. Tulkarm and Hebron. Later, Israeli settlers clash with stonethrowing Palestinians in Bayt Umar, injuring 1 Israeli. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin) and Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), injuring 4. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Jalazun r.c.; patrols nr. Ramallah, Hebron, Jericho, and Tulkarm. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers accompanied by IDF troops enter a village nr. Jenin to perform religious rites. PA security forces shoot and injure a Palestinian teenager during overnight clashes with stone-throwing residents in al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Nablus. In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian man stabs 2 Israeli border police guards nr. the Old City, injuring them both. Separately, Israeli forces arrest a Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) leader at a mobile checkpoint between Jerusalem and Jericho, and a Palestinian youth in Ras alAmud. Israeli forces also conduct a raid in Wadi al-Juz, sparking clashes with stonethrowing residents; 1 Palestinian is injured and arrested. (JP, MNA, TOI, YA 12/26; IMEMC 12/27; PCHR 12/31)

In the Sinai Peninsula, Egyptian authorities complete a survey of the 1,200 homes between 500 and 1,000 m of the border with Gaza and prepare to begin demolitions, as announced on 11/17. (MNA 12/27; DNE 12/29; ALM 12/30)

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion along the border fence nr. Khan Yunis to level land. In the West Bank, over 10,000 people attend a funeral procession in Ramallah for the Palestinian killed by Israeli soldiers on 12/15, and a general strike is held in the surrounding villages. IDF troops clash with stone-throwing Palestinians during a raid of a village w. of Jenin, and several Palestinians suffer from tear gas inhalation. Israeli soldiers later detain a Palestinian at a mobile checkpoint nr. Jenin. Separately, Israeli forces deliver stopwork orders to 4 homes under construction nr. Bethlehem and patrol nr. Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 6 Palestinians in Silwan during raids and house searches, as well as 2 Palestinian youths on their way home from school. After the 12/15 killing of a Palestinian in Qalandia, right-wing Jewish activists enter Haram al-Sharif early in the morning. Also, clashes break out in various neighborhoods around East Jerusalem and 3 Palestinians are arrested. (MNA, WAFA 12/16; IMEMC 12/17; PCHR 12/18)

A day ahead of the Palestinians’ promised submission of their draft res. to the UNSC, various Palestinian, U.S., EU, Arab, and Israeli officials meet to discuss their options. PA FM al-Maliki meets with French FM Fabius, and he offers to back the French draft UNSC res. if a couple of critical amendments are made. Separately, U.S. Secy. of State Kerry flies to London to hold talks with senior PLO official Saeb Erakat and PA intelligence chief Majid Faraj, and later with an Arab League delegation. Kerry asks the Palestinians to delay submitting their draft so he can conduct further meetings with PA Pres. Abbas. Russian Dep. FM Mikhail Bogdanov reiterates Russia’s support for the Palestinian UNSC res. during a meeting with Palestine’s Amb. to Russia Fayed Mustafa in Moscow. (AFP, HA, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA 12/16)

The Israeli Defense Ministry and the U.S. military conduct a 2d test of the Arrow-3 antiballistic missile system, designed to defend Israel from hypothetical Iranian nuclear weapons, but the test fails. (HA, TOI 12/16; AFP 12/17)

In the Gaza Strip, 1,000s of Palestinians attend a Hamas military parade through Gaza City to mark its 27th anniversary. During the festivities, Hamas demonstrates a drone aircraft’s capabilities, prompting the Israeli Air Force (IAF) to fly 2 jets over Gaza. Meanwhile, the pharmacists’ union threatens to stop paying to import medicine after the PA Ministry of Finance decides to collect 2.5% of the total costs as a payment toward the Value Added Tax, which was recently raised from 14.5% to 16%. In the West Bank, Israeli authorities declare 100s of acres of land nr. Salfit as a nature reserve. The IDF delivers demolition notices to 6 Palestinians in a village s. of Hebron; conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Jenin, Tulkarm, and Salfit. Separately, Israeli troops arrest a Palestinian woman at Kisaout prison where she was visiting her incarcerated husband. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police and municipal officials deliver demolition notices to residences in Silwan and the Old City. Separately, Israeli security forces detain 2 Palestinians on raids in Shu‘fat r.c. and the Old City, as well as 3 Palestinian children for throwing stones at a bus. Israeli troops accompany a group of right-wing Jewish activists on a tour of Haram al-Sharif. (AP, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 12/14; MNA 12/15; PCHR 12/18)

Joining the 70 current participants, 30 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails go on hunger strike against Israel’s use of solitary confinement, its treatment of sick prisoners, and the treatment of Nahar al-Sa‘adi, who has been in solitary confinement and on hunger strike for 1 mo. (IMEMC, WAFA 12/14)

Senior PLO and Fatah leaders meet in Ramallah to discuss possible responses to the death of a senior PA official on 12/10, including ending security coordination with Israel. After the meeting, Pres. Abbas says that reconstruction of Gaza is the PA unity govt.’s primary concern, and the PLO announces that the Palestinian draft UNSC res. will be submitted on 12/17. (JP, MNA 12/14; WAFA 12/15)

In Rome, U.S. Secy. of State Kerry meets with Russian FM Lavrov about the French and Palestinian draft UNSC res. (MNA, REU 12/14)

In the Gaza Strip, a bomb explodes outside a Fatah-affiliated charity, lightly injuring 2 bystanders. Shipments of domestic-use gas into Gaza resume after a dispute between local officials and the PA unity govt. is resolved on 12/10. All public institutions, ministries, and charities go on strike in protest of the PA unity govt.’s failure to pay civil servants. Several civil society organizations coordinate cleaning campaigns in Gaza’s hospitals, as the sanitation workers’ strike continues for a 10th day. IDF troops stationed along the border e. of al-Bureij arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel. In the West Bank, 1,000s of Palestinians attend the funeral of Ziad Abu Ein in Ramallah. Palestinians gathered for the funeral clash with IDF troops in al-Bireh; 19 are injured from rubber-coated metal bullets. Meanwhile, over 100 Palestinians gather in c. Hebron to protest Abu Ein’s death, leading to 2 separate clashes with IDF soldiers. There are also demonstrations in Turmus ‘Ayya. During the day, Israeli soldiers arrest Palestinians at a checkpoints nr. Ramallah and Hebron. The IDF conducts arrest raids nr. Jenin and Hebron; patrols in Tulkarm and n. of Jenin. Late at night, unidentified assailants open fire on the home of an imprisoned Hamas MP in Hebron, causing damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently disperse 100s of Palestinians gathered to protest Abu Ein’s death in Shu‘fat r.c., Issawiyya, al-‘Izzariya, and Silwan. They conduct late-night arrest raids and house searches in Jabal Mukabir, Wadi al-Juz, Ras al-Amud, and Issawiyya. Meanwhile, 75 new security guards are added to the security detail at Haram al-Sharif in response to King Abdullah of Jordan’s request. (MNA 12/10; HA, JP, MNA, NYT 12/11; IMEMC, MNA 12/12; TOI 12/13; PCHR 12/18)

UN Special Coordinator Serry holds talks with senior Hamas official Abu Marzuq at the UN building in Gaza City. Serry calls on the PA unity govt. to take on its responsibilities stipulated in the cease-fire agreements, specifically staffing the border crossings. Outside the UN building, dozens of Palestinians gather for a sit-in protest in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike. (MNA, TOI 12/11)

Egyptian pres. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi travels to Jordan to hold talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah. They discuss the draft UNSC res. that Jordan plans to introduce on behalf of the Palestinians before 12/25. Meanwhile, Jordan’s House of Deps. votes to cancel its 9/2014 gas agreement with U.S. company Noble Energy. The MPs oppose increasing Jordan’s economic ties with Israel, despite Jordan’s ongoing energy crisis. (JT, MNA 12/11; JP 12/12; NYT 12/14)

The French Senate passes a nonbinding res. inviting the govt. to recognize Palestinian statehood. The French parliament previously passed a similar res. on 12/2. Meanwhile, the Swiss govt. invites all states party to the Fourth Geneva Convention, which includes every UN mbr. and Palestine, to attend a summit on 12/17 to discuss the situation in the oPt. (AFP, AP, HA 12/11; WAFA 12/13)

In the Gaza Strip, the Union of Civil Servants announces that all govt. employees will go on strike on 12/11, and that school workers will strike on 12/14, in protest of the PA unity govt.’s failure to pay civil servants in Gaza who were hired after Hamas came to power in 2007. An IDF tank stationed along the border e. of al-Bureij r.c. fires on agricultural land, causing damage. Hours later, 4 IDF tanks and 3 armored bulldozers cross the border fence in e. Gaza, leveling land and firing live ammunition toward Palestinian property. In the West Bank, IDF troops detain 2 Palestinians as they approach the Tekoa settlement nr. Bethlehem. Israeli forces confiscate 3 Palestinian-owned tractors while patrolling in a bedouin village in the n. Jordan Valley. They also stop work on a UN Development Program project nr. Salfit, detain 2 Palestinian workers, and confiscate 1 tractor. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm, and Jenin. Israeli settlers cut the wires to 4 electricity poles and chop down several olive trees nr. Burin village s. of Nablus, clearing the area for the expansion of 2 nearby settlements. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police raid the Silwan home of Ahmad al-Ghoul, head of the Fatah Youth Movement in Jerusalem, and arrest him. He was recently attacked by Israeli settlers on 11/21. Israeli authorities deliver demolition notices to several residences and commercial buildings in Silwan, al-Tur, Issawiyya, and Jabal Mukabir. Israeli police detain 2 Palestinian women at Haram al-Sharif. They also conduct arrest raids around East Jerusalem; deliver demolition notices in Silwan, al-Tur, Issawiyya, and Jabal Mukabir. (IMEMC, JP, MNA, WAFA 12/9; PCHR 12/10)

After threatening a mass action on 12/6, 70 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons launch a hunger strike in protest of Israel’s treatment of a fellow prisoner and its use of solitary confinement. (MNA 12/9; WAFA 12/10)

The Knesset Finance Comm. approves a series of public funds transfers, including PM Netanyahu’s 12/8 request for around $20 m. to support the West Bank settlements. (AFP, TOI, YA 12/9)

The Lower House of the Irish Parliament unanimously passes a nonbinding res. calling on the Irish govt. to recognize Palestinian statehood, similar to the 1 passed by the Upper House on 10/23. (REU 12/9; HA 12/11)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops on the e. border fence twice open fire on Palestinian agricultural lands, causing no injuries. Late at night, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast nr. alSudaniyya, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, PA security forces enter the H2 area of c. Hebron and arrest 2 Palestinians. IDF troops deliver demolition orders to several homes, tents, and other residential structures in 2 bedouin communities s. of Hebron. The IDF conducts house searches in Jalazun r.c., as well as nr. Hebron and Bethlehem; patrols nr. Salfit, Hebron, Tulkarm, Jenin, and in al-‘Arub r.c. An IDF raid in ‘Askar r.c. nr. Nablus sparks clashes with stone-throwing residents; 1 Palestinian is injured. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces enter Shu‘fat r.c. and clashes break out with residents, causing no injuries; conduct house searches in Ras al-Amud and Jabal Mukabir. An unknown assailant throws a firebomb at a bus nr. the Old City, causing some damage. (IMEMC, JP, MNA 12/2; MNA 12/3; PCHR 12/4)

Israeli PM Netanyahu fires Fin. Min. Lapid and Justice Minister Livni from his cabinet. Netanyahu criticizes the 2 ministers for disloyalty, citing their opposition to his “nation-state” bill, and tells the press that he will soon call for the 19th Knesset to be dissolved. Meanwhile, reps. of the 4 nonZionist parties in the Knesset, Balad, Hadash, Ra’am, and Ta’al, meet to discuss running as a joint list in the upcoming elections. (AFP, FP, HA, JP 12/2; AFP, REU, YA 12/3)

U.S. Secy. of State Kerry holds talks with European FMs at a NATO meeting in Brussels. They discuss France’s draft UNSC res., which sets a timetable on IsraeliPalestinian peace negotiations. (AFP, REU 12/2; AFP, HA 12/3)

The UNGA passes a res. introduced by Egypt, which calls on Israel to give up its nuclear weapons and put its nuclear facilities under international oversight. (YA 12/2; EI 12/4)

The French parliament passes a symbolic res. that facilitates recognition of Palestinian statehood. The res. “invites the French govt. to use the recognition of the State of Palestine as an instrument to gain a definitive res. of the conflict,” and sets a 2-year deadline for the creation of an independent Palestinian state. (AFP, IMEMC, MEMO, REU, RT 12/2; WAFA 12/3)

In the Gaza Strip, Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for 9 hours, only allowing Palestinians in Egypt to enter Gaza. Off the coast nr. Rafah on 2 occasions, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. IDF troops along the n. border of Gaza arrest a Palestinian youth attempting to enter Israel, his father, and 1 other family mbr. E. of Khan Yunis, IDF troops open fire on agricultural land nr. the border fence, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli troops deliver stop-work orders to 2 Palestinians in Bayt Umar. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Ramallah, Salfit, Hebron, and Nablus; patrols nr. Ramallah, Jenin, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, around 50 right-wing Jewish activists, accompanied by dozens of Israeli security troops, tour Haram al-Sharif. Separately, Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian woman nr. the Old City and arrest 1 Palestinian on a raid of his home in Jabal Mukabir. In West Jerusalem, a small group of Jewish Israelis assaults a Palestinian man nr. the Old City, leaving him moderately injured. (IMEMC, MNA, WAFA 11/30; MEMO, MNA 12/1; PCHR 12/4)

Israeli authorities decide to hold the Fatah secy.-gen. in Jerusalem in administrative detention for 5 mos. He and his brother were arrested on 11/24. (MNA 11/30)

At a press conference in Gaza City, Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri says that the PA unity govt.’s 6-mo. interim term has expired and that a national dialogue should resume to determine the future of national unity. Senior Fatah official Faisal Abu Shahla disputes Abu Zuhri, saying that there never was an agreement that the unity govt. would only last 6 mos. (MNA 11/30; IMEMC 12/1)

In the West Bank, an Israeli bus driver runs over 2 Palestinians at al-Jalama checkpoint in Jenin, killing 1 and injuring the other. It has not been determined if the collision was intentional or accidental. IDF troops detain a Palestinian at a military checkpoint e. of Jerusalem, arrest 2 in Hebron, and arrest 1 at a checkpoint e. of Nablus. The IDF conducts raids and house searches in al-Fawar r.c. and nr. Ramallah, arresting 5, including a Hamas official; patrols nr. Hebron and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security officers shoot tear gas canisters at 2 Palestinian men, moderately injuring them; arrest a young woman after she tries to stop the soldiers from physically assaulting her disabled mother. Later in al-Tur, Israeli security forces violently disperse Palestinians gathered for a funeral, injuring 1 with a rubber-coated metal bullet. Additional clashes break out in Silwan. In West Jerusalem, a group of Israelis verbally and physically assaults a Palestinian. (AFP, IMEMC, MNA, WAFA 11/25; IMEMC, MNA 11/26; IMEMC, PCHR 11/27)

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) releases a statement condemning the “nation-state” bill that Israel’s cabinet passed on 11/23. PA Pres. Abbas and Israeli pres. Reuven Rivlin separately denounce the bill. (TOI, WAFA, YA 11/25; GDN 11/26)

The Palestinian prisoner’s club at Rimon prison declares a state of emergency after clashes on 11/24 and increasing restrictions in the prison. (PNN 11/25)

Israeli fin. min. Yair Lapid blocks the transfer of NIS 70 m. (around $17.8 m.) to fund the relocation of an army base in the Beit El settlement, which was ordered by DM Moshe Ya’alon and PM Netanyahu. Lapid says that a cabinet vote would be required for a transfer of this magnitude. (HA 11/25; IMEMC 11/26)

The Israeli government issues tenders for 198 new settlement homes in Hebron and Efrata (Gush Etzion bloc). Meanwhile, the Jerusalem municipality approves the planned relocation of the National Defense College to the Mount of Olives. Also, Israeli NGO Peace Now says that approval for settlement plans jumped 300% in 2012, and that under Netanyahu’s premiership, 40% of construction starts in settlements were in settlements located outside of the so-called blocs that Israel intends to keep under a final-status agreement. (AP, JP, YA 1/16)

In the Gaza Strip, the IDF fires warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials close to the border fence in the n. Gaza Strip, causing no injuries. In a separate incident, the IDF shells an open area 200 m from the border nr. Bureij, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, The IDF raids Aida r.c. in Bethlehem, opening fire on Palestinians with live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, and tear-gas grenades, seriously wounding 1. The IDF says that Palestinian protesters threw stones and firebombs at the Separation Wall and Israeli forces. Palestinian news agencies report that the raid was in response to the Palestinians opening a hole in the bottom of the wall nr. Rachel’s Tomb. The IDF also demolishes sheep barns and sheds nr. Jericho; patrols in Tulkarm and 1 village each nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Jericho at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village each nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Salfit at night. Meanwhile, an IDF investigation concludes that Israeli soldiers fired 80 bullets without justification when they mortally wounded a Palestinian man in al-Nabi Salih on 11/17 (he died on 11/19). Jewish settlers raze land nr. 2 separate settlements in the Jordan Valley and nr. Nablus in preparation for expansion. (MNA, WAFA 1/16; PCHR, PNN 1/17)

Israeli security forces dismantle Palestinian protest camp Bab al-Shams in the E1 zone nr. Jerusalem, after the Supreme Court authorizes the government to dismantle the site. Protesters were removed on 1/12, but the tents had remained. Separately, the High Court of Justice orders the state to refrain from evicting Palestinians from 8 villages in the s. Hebron Hills in an area the IDF has designated a firing zone for training. (REU 1/16; AFP, HA 1/17)

Dep. head of Hamas’s political bureau Musa Abu Marzuq says that the movement will not agree to dismantle the IQB as part of a prospective reconciliation deal with Fatah. He makes the comments in response to recent reports in al-Quds al-Arabi that Fatah is demanding Hamas dismantle its armed wing and integrate it into the PA security forces. (ToI 1/16)

The EU grants €100 m. to the PA and to UNRWA to provide essential services in the West Bank. Palestinian pres. Abbas announces that Saudi Arabia will give the struggling PA $100 m. to alleviate the PA’s financial crisis. (IMEMC, REU 1/16)

The Higher Planning Council of the IDF’s Civil Admin. meets to advance plans for 3,400 new settlement homes in the E1 area between Ma’ale Adumim and Jerusalem. Construction is expected to begin in 1–2 years. (HA, JP 12/5)

In Berlin, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu meets German chancellor Angela Merkel, who expresses dismay at settlement expansion. Israeli media reports say that Merkel’s message is that Netanyahu must choose between the peace process and establishing a Palestinian state on the one hand, and continued settlement growth and international isolation on the other. Meanwhile, the E.U. summons Israel’s amb. for a meeting, following similar moves by Britain, Denmark, France, Spain, and Sweden on 12/3. Palestinian pres. Abbas says he is determined to block the proposed settlement construction E1 with all legal and diplomatic means. Islamic Jihad issues a warning Israel to expect recent actions, such as settlement expansion and demolitions, to provoke a response. (REU 12/4; AP, HA, MNA, REU 12/5)

Hamas-affiliated Reform and Change mbr. Nasser al-Shaer tells Palestinian media that national reconciliation is the PA’s top priority following the successful UN bid. Senior Hamas official Ahmad Yousef cautions, however, that political instability in Egypt could delay unity talks mediated by Egyptian officials. (MNA 12/5)

In the West Bank, Jewish settlers uproot around 200 Palestinian-owned olive trees in a village nr. Bethlehem. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Jericho, and 6 villages nr. Hebron at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Tubas, 2 villages nr. Jenin, and 1 village each nr. Nablus, Tulkarm, and Tubas at night. (IMEMC 12/5; PCHR 12/13)

A mortar shell fired during an exchange inside Syria accidentally lands inside the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, nr. an IDF base, causing no damage or injuries. Israel lodges a formal complaint with the UN. Meanwhile, the UN Disengagement Observer Force, deployed in the Golan since 1974 to monitor the Israel-Syria cease-fire, announces that it will reinforce its security due to threats of cross-border violence posed by Syrian rebels. (JP 12/5)

Armed clashes take place in Tripoli as Syria’s civil war continues to spill over into Lebanon, with gunmen loyal to opposing sides in the Syrian fighting clashing in the city. The fighting has killed 6 people and wounded around 60 since the beginning of the week, sparked by the deaths on 11/30 of over a dozen Lebanese fighting with the rebels. (AP 12/5)

Israeli newspaper Yedi’ot Ahronot reports that in 2010 Israeli PM Netanyahu engaged in mos. of secret, U.S.-brokered discussions with Syria about a negotiated peace treaty including Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights. The U.S. State Dept. confirms that Netanyahu relayed a message to Syrian pres. Bashar al-Asad, but Netanyahu denies the accuracy of the story. (HA, NYT, REU, YA 10/12)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a Grad rocket from the Gaza Strip into Israel, causing no injuries. IDF troops on the Gaza border fire a missile at an olive grove nr. al-Bureij r.c. at night, injuring 1 Palestinian child inside a nearby home, and fire 1 missile at an open area nr. Nussayrat r.c. at night, causing no injuries. Israeli naval vessels fire at Palestinian fishermen in the morning, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning, and in 1 village nr. Ramallah and 2 villages nr. Jenin at night. The IDF also uses tear gas against Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals taking part in a nonviolent protest in Bil‘in village nr. Ramallah against the separation wall and settlements. (JP 10/12; IMEMC 10/13; PCHR 10/18)

PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erakat reveals that the PA is in consultations with Arab countries and others over the text of a draft resolution requesting the UNGA accept Palestine as a non-member state. Erakat reiterates that the UN bid is intended to complement rather than harm the peace process. Reports indicate that the U.S. government is lobbying European countries to oppose the Palestinian initiative on the basis that it would be counterproductive and lead to negative consequences, such as sanctions, for the PA. (Guardian, MNA 10/1)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a rocket from the Gaza Strip into s. Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, the IDF conducts house searches in Ras al-Amud neighborhood after clashes with local Palestinian youths; troops fire tear gas during the searches, moderately injuring a Palestinian woman. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin and Hebron in the morning, 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon, and 2 villages nr. Qalqilya at night. (AFP, IMEMC 10/1; PCHR 10/4; OCHA 10/5)

Palestinian citizens of Israel hold protests across Israel, including a 2,000- strong march in Sakhnin, to mark the 12th anniversary of the killing of 13 Arabs by Israeli police during demonstrations in solidarity with the 2d intifada then underway. (AFP 10/1)

Freedom Theater director and former AMB commander Zakaria Zubeidi is freed from PA prison after having been charged in connection to a 1/5/12 attack that resulted in the death of former Jenin governor Qaddura Musa from a heart attack (see QU in JPS 164). (MNA 1/10)

Syrian state television attacks Hamas leader Khalid Mishal, accusing him of ‘‘selling out’’’ and being ungrateful for Syria’s years of patronage. Hamas closed its headquarters in Damascus earlier in 2012 after refusing to support the regime’s attacks on Syrian protesters and the opposition. (NYT 10/2)

Israel’s FM Avigdor Lieberman says that while it was not possible to stop the UNGA voting in favor of the PA’s bid for recognition as a non-member observer state, the Israeli government would ‘‘exact a price’’ from Abbas in response. (HA 9/29)

Israel’s planning comm. approves establishment of a new Jewish community in the n. Negev in place of the Bedouin village Umm al-Hieran, whose roughly 500 residents will be forcibly relocated. (YA 9/29)

Israel releases 2 Hamas-affiliated mbrs. of the Palestinian Council after 15 mos. in administrative detention. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Qalqilya and 1 village nr. Tulkarm in the morning, in 1 village nr. Ramallah and 1 village nr. Jericho in the afternoon, and in 1 village nr. Jenin at night. Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists protest land confiscation nr. Karme Tzur settlement nr. Hebron. (MNA 9/29; IMEMC 9/30; PCHR 10/4)

DF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Hanun open fire on Palestinian farmers who stray too nr. the border fence, seriously injuring 1. Palestinians fire 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries, bringing to 21 the number of rockets fired since the Gaza cease-fire went into effect on 11/26. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in al-Walaja nr. Bethlehem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abu Dis, Jenin town and r.c., and nr. Bethlehem, Tulkarm; bars a Palestinian heart attack victim fr. crossing a checkpoint to reach a hospital in Nablus, allowing him to die. Following the 12/11 attack on Balusha’s car in Gaza City, Abbas deploys extra security forces under his command across the Strip, sparking an exchange of gunfire btwn. Fatah, Hamas mbrs. during a Fatah demonstration in Khan Yunis against the killings, leaving 4 Fatah mbrs. injured. Inside Israel, Israeli police demolish 4 homes in the unrecognized village of Um Mitnan in the Negev. (IMEMC, MM 12/12; OCHA, WP 12/13; PCHR 12/14)

Overnight and during the day, the IDF continues to expand its presence in n. Gaza, entering populated areas for the 1st time since disengagement, meeting strong resistance fr. Palestinians, who use RPGs, rifles, roadside bombs and fire 8 rockets toward Israel (only 4 land inside Israel, causing no damage or injuries). The IDF uses air strikes, artillery, tanks, and gunfire as well as bulldozes fields, roads, and open areas to widen the n. Gaza buffer zone; the clashes, mostly concentrated in Bayt Lahiya but also in s. Gaza, leave at least 24 Palestinians (many reportedly Hamas mbrs., but also including at least 2 children), 1 IDF soldier (hit by friendly fire) dead and wound some 80 Palestinians (nearly a third of them children), 1 IDF soldier. The IDF also bulldozes areas around Khan Yunis, demolishing 3 Palestinian homes; opens Erez and Qarni crossings for several hrs. for the movement of international aid workers, humanitarian goods. Palestinian gunmen also fire on an al-Jazeera TV car in Bayt Hanun, believing it to be an IDF undercover unit, wounding the driver, 1 journalist. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into a memorial service in Jenin r.c. for an AMB mbr. killed on 7/5, attempts to assassinate the AMB’s n. West Bank cmdr. Zakariya Zubaydi and local Islamic Jihad leader Mahmud al-Sadi, fatally shooting 2 Palestinian teenagers, wounding 18; Sadi, Zubaydi escape. The IDF also raids an Islamic charity nr. Hebron; demolishes a Palestinian home nr. Jerusalem; patrols in ‘Anabta nr. Tulkarm; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus, nr. Hebron and Qalqilya; issues military orders confiscating 45 d. of land along settler bypass road 60 nr. Hebron for construction of a military base nr. the separation wall. Jewish settlers fr. Suissa set fire to a Palestinian home; the IDF prevents firefighters fr. reaching the area. Israeli police arrest 5 senior Hamas mbrs. in East Jerusalem for illegally helping Change and Reform PC mbrs. conduct Hamas affairs in the city. (IMEMC, OCHA, NYT, WT, YA 7/6; NYT, PCHR, WP, WT, YA 7/7; HA, NYT, WP 7/8; PCHR 7/13)

Overnight, the IDF sends another 15–20 tanks and armored personnel carriers (APCs) into Bayt Hanun and into the Erez industrial zone, leveling land to clear lines of sight, searching for roadside bombs and tunnels that could obstruct a large-scale military incursion into Gaza (as PA security forces pull out of their border positions at Erez, Palestinians stream into the industrial zone to scavenge fr. closed businesses there); continues to break the sound barrier over Gaza and to make air and artillery strikes on n. Gaza, killing 1 PA security officer, wounding several Palestinians, and destroying an empty building on Islamic University campus. During the day, the IDF continues the n. Gaza build-up, reoccupying the fmr. Nisanit settlement site, occupying 2 more Palestinian homes as operational bases, bulldozing a PA security force base in Bayt Hanun; fires on residential areas around Erez (wounding a Palestinian child) and on a Palestinian Energy Authority repair crew attempting to fix a transformer in the area. The IDF also allows Qarni crossing to reopen for several hrs. to import humanitarian supplies from the World Food Program (WFP) and UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East); WFP reports that there are only 2 days left of sugar and 8 days left of animal feed in Gaza and that milk and dairy products are only available in small quantities. Meanwhile, the Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades fire a 2-engine Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, hitting an empty school nr. Ashqelon, 7.5 mi inside Israel (the longest-range rocket to date). In the West Bank, the IDF raids Jenin, ambushes and fires on a car, assassinating wanted AMB Jenin cmdr. Fida’i Qandil, wounding a passenger; raids a PA police station in Ramallah, detaining 3 Palestinians captured by the PA in connection with the murder of a Jewish settler on 6/29; arrests Hamas spokesman Farhat Asad nr. Ramallah; patrols in, fires on residential areas of al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Jenin, wounding 2 Palestinians; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Ramallah, in Nablus and Qalqilya, and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Mehola nr. Tubas attack Palestinian farmers working their fields nearby. (HA, IMEMC, MM, NYT, OCHA, PCHR, WT, YA 7/4; NYT, WP, WT 7/5; OCHA, PCHR 7/6)

Overnight in Gaza, the IDF makes air strikes on at least 20 targets, including PA Interior Min. offices (saying they were used to plan terrorist attacks), buildings used by the AMB and Hamas, an ESF training camp, a PA intelligence office, several roads, and open areas; continues to shell n. Gaza, to break the sound barrier over the Strip; conducts arrest raids in Rafah. The only reported casualties are 1 Islamic Jihad mbr. killed in an air strike on a rocket launching site in Rafah, 3 Palestinian gunmen (AMB or Islamic Jihad) wounded nr. Jabaliya r.c., and 7 Palestinian bystanders (including 5-yr.- old Palestinian girl) wounded in shelling of n. Gaza. Israel also revokes the residency rights of Hamas-affiliated PA Jerusalem Affairs M Khalid Abu ‘Arafa and Change and Reform PC mbrs. Muhammad Abu Tir, Ahmad Attoun, Muhammad Totah (detained on 6/28–29), giving them 30 days to appeal or renounce their positions within the PA. The PRCs fire at least 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF sends an undercover unit into Nablus, surrounding a cemetery, fatally shooting 1 Palestinian teenager, wounding and arresting a 2d Palestinian, arresting 2 others, firing on stonethrowing youths who confront the troops, wounding 31; also raids an Islamic charity in Nablus, confiscating a computer, files; conducts additional arrest raids in and around Nablus, in Jenin. IDF Central Command head Maj. Gen. Ya’ir Naveh says that the main crossing between Jerusalem and Bethlehem is now closed to Palestinians who hold Israeli IDs (including 237,000 East Jerusalem residents), enforcement (which reportedly is irregular at present) may be expanded to other crossings into the West Bank soon. (HA, IMEMC, MM, PCHR, WP, YA 6/30; OSC, XIN 6/30 in WNC 7/1; IMEMC, NYT, WP 7/1; VOP 7/1 in WNC 7/2; PCHR 7/6)

Overnight, the IDF stages scores of arrest raids across the West Bank detaining 64 senior Hamas political officials, including 8 PA cabinet mbrs. and 26 PC mbrs., plus 23 senior Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades mbrs. Haniyeh, Siyam, PA FM Mahmud Zahhar remain free. (100s of Palestinians in Jenin, Ramallah, Tulkarm hold marches, sit-ins to protest the Israeli arrest of PA legislators.) Israel says the arrest campaign has been planned for wks., with the government securing Atty. Gen. Menachem Mazuz’s authorization and arrest warrants far in advance of the Kerem Shalom attack on 6/25. In Gaza, the IDF shells 2 electricity transformers and open areas of n. Gaza, cutting all electricity to n. Gaza and wounding 1 Palestinian civilian; makes air strikes on 2 electrical shops in Khan Yunis, a Hamas training camp outside Khan Yunis, a car carrying 4 Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Gaza City, wounding 3 bystanders in the Gaza City incident; fires at least 30 shells at areas around Khan Yunis, wounding 1 Palestinian farmer; conducts house searches in al-Shuka nr. Rafah; intermittently breaks the sound barrier to harass the Gaza population. In response to Israel’s military escalation, the PRC mbrs. overnight kill a Jewish settler teenager they reported they kidnapped on 6/27; the IDF finds his body buried nr. Ramallah. During the day, the IDF makes an air strikes on targets in s. Gaza and on a car driving in Gaza City in an attempt to assassinate an Islamic Jihad mbr., who escapes lightly wounded; shells n. and s. Gaza, lightly wounding at least 3 Palestinians. AMB, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) mbrs. also fire at least 6 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage to a farm. Palestinian militants (thought to be Hamas) blow a hole in the Gaza-Egypt border fence; cordons of PA security forces,Egyptian border guards prevent most Palestinians fr. crossing through, though the militants who set the bomb reportedly escape into Egypt. In the evening, Olmert, Peretz order the IDF to suspend plans to send the Givati Brigade into n. Gaza overnight as planned in light of requests fr. Egypt to allow its envoys in Gaza more time to secure Shalit’s release. Meanwhile in the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches (unrelated to the arrest of PA officials) in Hebron, and in and around Ramallah, Salfit; raids 6 Islamic charities and schools nr. Hebron, Jenin and in Bethlehem, Tulkarm, confiscating computers, files; issues military orders confiscating 25 d. of Palestinian land nr. Hebron for construction of the separation wall. (HA, IFM, IMEMC, JAZ, MM, NYT, WP, WT, YA 6/29; AFP, MENA, OSC, PSCT, VOI, VOP 6/29 in WNC 6/30; CSM, HA, MM, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 6/30; OSC, PSCT, YA 6/30 in WNC 7/1; al-Ayyam 7/1 in WNC 7/2; HA, PCHR 7/6; PCHR 7/27) 

Palestinian gunmen holding Shalit issue a statement demanding the release of all 113 Palestinian women and 318 children fr. Israeli jails in return for information on Shalit’s condition; Israel refuses, proceeds with plans to free Shalit itself, sending 3 additional armored battalions (more than 3,000 troops) to the Gaza border in warning. Egypt deploys 2,500 border guards along the Rafah border to prevent the kidnappers fr. trying to sneak Shalit into Egypt. Abbas, Haniyeh coordinate deployment of Abbas’s presidential guard, other PA security forces to conduct house-to-house searches to find Shalit. Haniyeh urges the gunmen to “respect [Shalit] as a prisoner” but does not call for his release; calls on all militant groups to maintain a cease-fire so as to avoid a massive Israeli retaliation. Egyptian envoys begin attempts to mediate Shalit’s release. Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. During the day, the IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem and Ramallah, and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Jerusalem, Qalqilya, Tulkarm; begins work on a new segment of the separation wall nr. Tene settlement s. of Hebron that will annex at least 100 d. of Palestinian land to the settlement. Jewish settlers fr. Suissa burn 10 tons of hay stored by local Palestinian farmers. Meanwhile, the Israeli High Court rules that the government and IDF cannot bar Palestinians farmers in the West Bank fr. reaching their lands on the grounds that it is protecting them fr. Jewish settlers; must prevent settlers from harming Palestinian land, property, persons. (HA, IMEMC, MM, XIN 6/26; MENA, OSC, VOI 6/26 in WNC 6/27; HA, NYT, WP, WT 6/27; VOP 6/27 in WNC 6/28; PCHR 6/29)

The IDF fires missiles fr. a drone at a car driving in Abasan, wounding 3 AMB mbrs., 1 bystander in an attempted assassination, also damaging several stores; shells n. Gaza, injuring a 50-yr.-old farmer working his field nr. Bayt Lahiya; sends 2 tanks and a bulldozer into Gaza to level land along the border nr. Bayt Hanun for construction of the border fence; sends troops into Hawara, imposes a curfew; patrols in Nablus, firing on residential areas; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Jenin. A leaflet signed by the AMB warns that “we won’t remain idle in the face of the siege imposed on the Palestinian people by Israel, the U.S., and other countries. . . . We will strike at the economic and civilian interests of these countries, here and abroad.” ARB spokesman Abu Harun also threatens that the ARB would launch “a merciless intifada that will destroy everything” if international funding is not restored soon. (IMEMC 5/15; JP 5/16; PCHR 5/18)

The IDF makes a predawn raid into Nablus, searching houses and the al-Najah University women’s dorms, arresting 1 Palestinian, clashing with AMB gunmen, leaving 1 AMB mbr. dead; also conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin. Palestinians in Salfit accuse the IDF of recently rounding up dangerous wild pigs inside Israel and releasing them in the area; the pigs have been devastating agricultural property and threatening Palestinians nr. Salfit since. The IDF critically wounds an Australian activist during the weekly nonviolent protests against the separation wall in Bil‘in, shooting him in the head with a rubber bullet, causing a brain hemorrhage. In Nablus, some 5,000 Palestinians (including armed AMB mbrs.) gather to donate money, jewelry to the cash-strapped PA; at the same time, Hamas sponsors a telethon that brings pledges fr. as far as Qatar, Saudi Arabia; officials do not say how much they raise. (AP, IMEMC, World News Australia 5/12; PCHR 5/18)

In the 1st attacks authorized by new Israeli DM Peretz, the IDF makes 3 air strikes on a PRC camp in Gaza in retaliation for 5/4 rocket fire, killing 5 PRC mbrs. (Hamada Daghmash, Juma’ Daghmash, Mahmud Daghmash, Wahid Daghmash, Khalid Wakid), wounding 2 in an apparent attempt to assassinate PRC cmdr. Mumtaz Daghmash, who lives nearby. The IDF also closes Gaza’s Sufa crossing for 2 days and Kerem Shalom crossing indefinitely; prevents Palestinians fr. Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm in the n. West Bank fr. crossing checkpoints into the s. West Bank; shells a rocket launch site in n. Gaza, causing no injuries; fires on stonethrowing youths who confront troops during an arrest raid by an undercover unit in Nablus, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 1, also occupying part of an apartment building as an observation post; patrols in Jenin, Yatta (firing on residential areas); conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c. In Gaza, 1,000s of Hamas mbrs. rally in support of the PA government. (IMEMC 5/5; NYT, WP, WT 5/6; HA 5/7; OCHA 5/10; PCHR 5/11)

In a formal protest to Israel, UNRWA notes that the IDF has barred access to Jerusalem fr. the West Bank for 4 days, which the agency says is unprecedented, hindering the movement of its personnel, undermining humanitarian operations. Israel has not formally announced a closure. (Prensa Latina 5/5)

The IDF reopens the Qarni crossing (closed on 4/26); conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus. Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF responds by shelling n. Gaza, causing no injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba vandalize Palestinian homes in Hebron for a 2d day. (HA, IMEMC 4/30; B’Tselem press release 5/1; OCHA 5/3; PCHR 5/4)

The IDF closes the Qarni crossing; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin (fatally shooting a Palestinian gunman), Ramallah (searching the home of Change and Reform PC mbr. Ahmad ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Malik). PA security forces at Gaza’s Qarni crossing prevent 2 Palestinian vehicles of PRC mbrs. carrying explosives that attempt to crash through the PA security barrier to attack the main transit building; 3 PA policemen, 2 gunmen are wounded in the exchange, and 3 gunmen are arrested; Israel claims that the PRCs were acting under the direction of Hamas, which denies the charge; PA Interior M Siyam says that attacking border crossings is against the national interest and should not be done. Meanwhile, mbrs. of the Yasir Arafat Brigades (considered an offshoot of the AMB) say that in response to Siyam’s plans to create the ESF, they are planning to form a new militia “to protect Fatah men against the Israeli enemy and against any attempt by any party inside the homeland to target them.” (IMEMC, REU 4/26; NYT, PCHR, WP 4/27; IFM, XIN 5/1; OCHA 5/3; PCHR 5/4)