The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, 4 Israeli soldiers are injured in a suspected ramming attack outside an Israeli settlement nr. Salfit, and Israeli forces later arrest a Palestinian suspect during a late-night raid nr. Ramallah. IDF troops injure 9 Palestinians in clashes with student protesters at the Palestine Technical University in Tulkarm. The IDF conducts a raid in Ramallah late at night, sparking clashes with stone-throwers wherein 2 Palestinians are injured; conducts further late-night raids and house searches in Tulkarm, Tulkarm r.c. and 1 nearby village, Jenin, and 1 village nr. Ramallah, arresting 12 Palestinians; patrols in 7 villages and al-Fawar r. c. nr. Hebron. Palestinians throw stones at Israeli settlers’ cars on a road to Jerusalem, causing minor damage and light injuries. Off Gaza’s coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police disperse 40 right-wing Jewish activists demonstrating outside Haram al-Sharif, arresting 2 who allegedly planned to erect a menorah to commemorate Hanukkah. Israeli forces also assault and arrest 4 Palestinian youths in al-Tur; arrest 2 Palestinians walking in the Old City. (HA, JP, MNA, YA 12/10; HA, MNA 12/11; PCHR 12/17)

Israeli NGO Peace Now reports that the Israeli govt. designated as “state land” a 30-dunam (7.4-acre) swath of Palestinian land nr. Bethlehem in 11/2015. The previous designation of state land came in 8/2014. (PCN 12/10; MNA 12/11)

Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian after he stabs and mildly injures an Israeli settler and an Israeli soldier in Hebron, where around 1/3 of the estimated 115 Palestinian casualties since the beginning of 10/2015 have taken place. Nr. Tulkarm, Palestinian gunmen shoot and injure 2 Israeli settlers in a drive-by attack. Then, Israeli forces shut down entrances to Tulkarm with cement blocks; conduct raids in and around the city, sparking clashes with stone-throwers wherein 3 Palestinians are injured. After IDF troops arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid in Tubas, they clash with stone-throwers, injuring 3 Palestinians. The IDF also conducts late-night raids and house searches in Tulkarm and Nur Shams r.c. nearby, 3 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, and Nablus, arresting 15 Palestinians and confiscating personal property; patrols in 4 villages and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron and 1 village nr. Jenin; seizes construction materials s. of Hebron. Nr. al-Bureij r.c. and Bayt Hanun in Gaza, Israeli forces conduct 2 limited incursions to level land along the border fence. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police remove around 30 right-wing Jewish activists from Haram al-Sharif after 3 of them begin performing prayers in the sanctuary. Meanwhile, Israeli police block a Palestinian woman from entering Haram al-Sharif and ban her from the sanctuary for 2 weeks. Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian on a late-night raid in al-Thawri. (HA, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA, YA 12/9; MNA, PCHR, TOI, YA 12/10; JP 12/12; PCHR 12/17)

IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians protesting the ongoing Israeli crackdown in Jalazun r.c. and 1 village nr. Ramallah, as well as along Gaza’s border e. of al-Bureij r.c.; 2 Palestinian youths are seriously injured. The IDF also violently clashes with stone-throwers in and around Bethlehem after the funeral for the Palestinian who was killed the night before in nearby Dahaysha r.c.; 2 Palestinians are injured. Meanwhile, the IDF conducts raids and house searches in 1 village nr. Ramallah, Hebron and 3 villages nearby, Nablus and ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ r.c., and 1 village nr. Tulkarm, arresting 10 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to others; patrols in 10 villages nr. Hebron. Israeli forces raze 26 dunams (6.4 acres) of Palestinian land nr. Tulkarm, destroying a greenhouse and more than 200 olive trees; conduct a limited incursion across Gaza’s border fence nr. Bayt Hanun to level land. In East Jerusalem, more than 40 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif under Israeli police escort. Around 60 Palestinians are denied entry to the sanctuary and 2 are arrested. Israeli forces also arrest 1 Palestinian after summoning him for interrogation earlier in the day and 4 Palestinians on raids in the Old City, Ras al-Amud, and Anata r.c. (MNA, REU, TOI 12/8; PCHR 12/10)

In West Jerusalem, Israeli police shoot and kill a Palestinian nr. the Old City after he allegedly hits 1 Israeli with his car and stabs another, lightly injuring both. On Gaza’s s. border, unknown assailants open fire on IDF vehicles patrolling along the border fence, causing minor damage, according to the IDF. Late at night, IAF jets launch air strikes on a Hamas military site in n. Gaza, causing damage. During the day, IDF troops stationed along the border e. of al-Bureij r.c. violently disperse Palestinian stone-throwers, injuring 1. In the West Bank, IDF troops patrol in 1 village each nr. Tulkarm and Nablus, sparking clashes with stone-throwers in each; 2 Palestinians are injured and 3 are arrested. There are several incidents in the Hebron area today as Israeli forces raid a medical center, assaulting a 14-year-old Palestinian patient; deliver stop-work orders to 3 homes under construction e. of Bayt Umar; and remove the doors and windows from several residences and confiscate drilling equipment in a village nr. Hebron. IDF troops violently clash with Palestinian protesters in 1 village nr. Ramallah and at Palestine Technical University in Tulkarm; 12 Palestinians are injured. They also conduct late-night raids and house searches in Jenin and Jenin r.c., Qalqilya, 1 village nr. Salfit, 2 nr. Nablus, and 3 each nr. Hebron and Ramallah, arresting 15 Palestinians; patrol in 5 villages nr. Hebron and 1 nr. Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, a number of right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif in the morning. Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian youth in Silwan claiming she had a knife; raid the home of a PA security forces (PASF) officer in Abu Dis, sparking clashes with stone-throwers (there are no injuries). They also arrest 7 Palestinians on late-night raids in Jabal Mukabir, Issawiyya, and the Old City. (MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 12/6; HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 12/7; PCHR 12/10)

Stabbing and alleged stabbing attacks continue across the oPt, leading to the deaths of 4 Palestinians. First, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian at a checkpoint n. of Jerusalem after he exits his vehicle and opens fire on Israeli forces, injuring a soldier and a Palestinian bystander. Late at night, IDF troops shoot and kill 2 Palestinian youths at a checkpoint in Hebron after they allegedly stab an Israeli soldier. The soldier suffers moderate injuries. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian man nr. the Old City of Jerusalem after he stabs and moderately injures an Israeli police officer. Meanwhile,IDF troops open fire on Palestinian youths walking nr. Nablus (the IDF later alleged the youths had been throwing stones), injuring 1; violently clash with Palestinians protesting outside a settlement nr. Ramallah, injuring 1; conduct a raid in a village nr. Jenin, sparking clashes with stone-throwers (8 Palestinians are injured). The IDF also conducts late-night raids and house searches in 3 villages nr. Jenin and 1 nr. Tulkarm, arresting 3 Palestinians; patrols in 4 villages, al-‘Arub r.c. and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron. Israeli forces confiscate construction materials from 2 stores nr. Hebron. In Gaza, Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for the 1st of 2 planned days. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault a group of Palestinian women after denying them entry to Haram al-Sharif; there are no serious injuries. The women are murabitat, volunteer guards that Israeli authorities banned from the sanctuary on 9/9. Meanwhile, more than 70 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 12/3; HA, TOI 12/4; PCHR 12/10)

The Hebron area is hit hard throughout the day, as IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian at the entrance to al-Fawar r.c. after he stabs and seriously injures an Israeli soldier (the Palestinian will succumb to his injuries later in the day); Israeli forces place a closure on the camp. IDF troops are heavily deployed across Hebron, after a Palestinian gunman allegedly shot at an Israeli settler’s vehicle in the Old City. Israeli forces conduct raids in al-‘Arub r.c. and patrol throughout the Hebron area, arresting 10 Palestinians total. Elsewhere in the West Bank, a Palestinian youth succumbs to injuries sustained in clashes with the IDF nr. Ramallah 2 weeks ago, on 11/11. IDF troops violently clash with protesters at Palestine Technical University in Tulkarm for the 2d day, injuring 4 Palestinians; patrol nr. Tulkarm. The IDF conducts raids and house searches in Jenin and 4 villages nearby, and in 1 village nr. Ramallah, arresting 6 Palestinians. Israeli forces demolish a road in a bedouin community in the Jordan Valley; confiscate stonecutting equipment from a quarry nr. Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raid a sports club in al-Tur, confiscating data from surveillance cameras. A number of right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif in the morning. Off Gaza’s n. coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion nr. Jabaliya to level land and build up earth mounds that will obstruct Palestinian farmers; open fire on Palestinian lands along the border fence e. of Khan Yunis. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 11/25; PCHR 11/26, 12/3)

Small-scale attacks, including alleged stabbings, continue to characterize the ongoing wave of violence as it largely shifts to the West Bank. IDF troopsshoot and kill a Palestinian in a village nr. Hebron after he allegedly attempts to stab an Israeli soldier. The IDF later says that the man was killed amid a “violent riot,” but Palestinian witnesses say he was not present for the clashes in the village. A Palestinian driver rams his vehicle into a group of IDF officers nr. a settlement in the Hebron area, injuring 3. Israeli soldiers then open fire on the car, causing damage but no injuries. The driver turns himself in to the IDF hours later. Throughout the day, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians protesting in a village nr. Bethlehem and outside a settlement nr. Ramallah; 4 Palestinians are injured. The IDF also patrols in 1 village each nr. Salfit and Hebron; conducts raids and house searches in 1 village each nr. Bethlehem, and Jenin, 3 nr. Hebron, Nablus and 1 village nearby, and Jalazun r.c. and 2 villages nr. Ramallah, arresting 16 Palestinians and confiscating personal property. Israeli settlers destroy a barbed wire fence in a village nr. Jerusalem; ram a Palestinian with a vehicle nr. Qalqilya, causing moderate injuries. In the evening, Israeli forces return the bodies of 2 Palestinians who were killed in confrontations with IDF troops on 10/13 nr. Ramallah and 10/17 in Jerusalem. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 11/1; PCHR 11/5)

Tension remains high in East Jerusalem as right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif under an Israeli police escort in the morning. Israeli forces arrest 11 Palestinians on raids and patrols in the Old City, al-Thawri, Issawiyya, Shu‘fat, and al-Tur. They also search a number of stores in Issawiyya, sparking minor clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths; 1 Palestinian is lightly injured. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 11/1; PCHR 11/5)

Israeli DM Ya’alon says that Israel will stop returning the bodies of Palestinians killed in violent confrontations with the IDF if they are mourned at mass funerals, as on 10/31 in Hebron. He also says that he decided not to return any more bodies to Hebron following the 10/31 mass funeral and subsequent clashes. (HA 11/1; HA 11/3)

For a 3d day in a row in Gaza, Israeli forces open fire on hundreds of Palestinians protesting and throwing stones nr. the Erez border crossing and e. of al-Bureij r.c., injuring 17 Palestinians (1 will succumb to injuries on 10/24). Separately, unknown persons fire a rocket into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Palestinians open fire on Israeli construction vehicles working on the border fence, causing no injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 10/11; PCHR 10/15)

Small-scale attacks continue amid the ongoing wave of violence in Israel and the rest of the oPt. In Israel, a Palestinian citizen is arrested after he rams an Israeli woman with his car nr. Hadera, then stabs her and 3 other Jewish Israelis, injuring all 4. In West Jerusalem, 3 Israeli settlers pepper-spray a Palestinian youth, causing minor injuries. In the West Bank, a car catches fire at the al-Za’ayem checkpoint, severely injuring the Palestinian driver and lighly injuring an Israeli police officer. Witnesses report that it was an electrical fire while the IDF describes it as an attempted car bombing. Outside Hebron, Palestinian youths throw stones at Israeli drivers, injuring 1 settler. Nearby, the IDF violently disperses the funeral procession of the Palestinian who succumbed, on 10/10, to injuries sustained in clashes with Israeli soldiers on 10/8. Throughout the day, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians protesting and throwing stones across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, killing 1 Palestinian youth and injuring 129 others, including 1 photojournalist. The IDF also continues raids and house searches throughout the region, arresting 45 Palestinians. In Israel, dozens of Palestinians gather in Kafr Kanna and 3 other Palestinian municipalities to protest the recent Israeli crackdown. In East Jerusalem, several groups of right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif. Meanwhile, the Higher Follow-Up Comm. for Arab Citizens of Israel calls for a general strike and a mass demonstration on 10/13 in protest of the recent Israeli access restrictions at Haram al-Sharif. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/11; HA, MNA, YA 10/12; MNA 10/13; PCHR 10/14)

A Palestinian administrative detainee suffers a stroke, and Israeli doctors in Soroka Medical Center declare him “brain dead.” The Palestinian Prisoners Society responds, accusing the Israel Prison Service of medical negligence. He will die of related complications on 10/14. (HA, MNA 10/12)

The Israeli cabinet unanimously approves a series of measures designed to deter stone-throwing, including mandatory minimum sentences and the imposition of penalties on parents of minors convicted of such crimes. The security cabinet previously approved the measures on 9/24 (they will pass a 1st reading in the Knesset on 10/12). (HA, JP 10/11; HA, JP 10/12; JP 10/13)

For the 2d day in a row, stabbing incidents continue in Israel and the oPt. First, a Palestinian stabs and injures an Israeli in Shaykh Jarrah, East Jerusalem. In response, Israeli forces raid the suspected attacker’s home in Shu‘fat r.c., sparking clashes with stone-throwers; 1 Palestinian is killed and 42 are injured. Then, as a “preventative measure,” Israeli forces install metal detectors at checkpoints around the Old City. In Tel Aviv, Israeli police shoot and kill a Palestinian after he stabs and lightly injures 4 Israelis, including 1 soldier, and Israeli forces then arrest the suspected attacker’s father and uncle in their home in East Jerusalem. Later, a Palestinian stabs an Israeli soldier and a civilian in Afula (Israeli civilians assault the Palestinian and he is arrested), and another Palestinian stabs and seriously injures an Israeli settler outside the Kiryat Arba settlement nr. Hebron; Israeli forces kill the alleged suspect. In response to the recent attacks, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat calls on Jewish citizens with gun permits to carry their weapons when in public, saying that it is “like doing reserve duty” due to Israel’s compulsory military service. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/8; PCHR 10/15)

Meanwhile, hundreds of right-wing Israelis gather in Jerusalem to protest the Israeli govt.’s alleged inaction, and minor clashes ensue when Israeli police block them from entering Silwan (4 are arrested). In Nazareth, Israeli police violently disperse dozens of Palestinian youths protesting Israeli restrictions on access at Haram al-Sharif, injuring several Palestinians and arresting 16. Meanwhile, dozens of Jewish Israelis attack 3 Palestinian citizens in Netanya, injuring 1 (5 of the assailants will be arrested on 10/10). Clashes erupt between IDF troops and Palestinian protesters across the West Bank, injuring at least 50 Palestinians, including 2 photojournalists (1 Palestinian will succumb to his injuries on 10/10). The IDF patrols across the region, arresting 27 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 3. Israeli settlers continue assaulting Palestinians and their property, smashing the car windows of the PA minister of telecommunications nr. Nablus and injuring at least 2 Palestinians throughout the day. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/8; MNA, YA 10/9; MNA, PIC, TOI 10/10; PCHR 10/14)

In Gaza, a 30-year-old Palestinian succumbs to injuries sustained in Khan Yunis on 11/8/ 2000, during the 2d intifada, when IDF troops shot him in the back, paralyzing him. (HA, MNA, WAFA 10/8)

The Israeli PM’s office clarifies that the recent ban on politicians’ visits to Haram al-Sharif applies to both Jewish and Palestinian MKs, after the media reported that the ban only applied to Jewish politicians. (HA, JP, NYT, TOI, YA 10/8)

For the 2d day in a row, Israeli police shoot and kill a Palestinian outside the Old City as he is fleeing a group of Jewish Israelis. The police claim he stabbed and injured an Israeli teen in the area, but multiple videos show the Palestinian youth weaponless and fleeing Israelis who were trying to attack him. Following the killing, clashes break out in the surrounding area and Israeli forces conduct raids throughout East Jerusalem. In total, 21 Palestinians and 1 Lebanese journalist are injured and at least 22 Palestinians are arrested. Around 100 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif on the last day of Sukkoth. The holiday and corresponding restrictions on Palestinian access at Haram al-Sharif (announced 9/27) end this evening. Protesting the recent Israeli violations at Haram al-Sharif, Palestinian shop owners across the Old City and East Jerusalem shutter their businesses. Later, the Israeli police announce a 48-hour ban on Palestinian entry to the Old City: Only Israeli citizens, Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, and tourists will be allowed access. (EI, HA, MNA, TOI 10/4; MNA, WAFA 10/5; PCHR 10/8)

Hundreds of Palestinians continue nonviolent protests throughout the West Bank. In response, Israeli forces violently disperse protesters, conduct raids, and patrol throughout the area, injuring a total of 25 (1 succumbs to his injuries later in the evening) and arresting 2 Palestinians. Nr. Ramallah, IDF troops search the home of the Palestinian man who attacked a group of Israelis with a knife on 10/3, detaining 18 mbrs. of his family and threatening punitive demolition. The worst violence of the day is concentrated in the Hebron area, where Palestinian youths throw an improvised explosive device toward Israeli troops, and the soldiers respond with live ammunition. Nearby, Israeli settlers assault an elderly Palestinian; smash solar panels; assault a Palestinian family; break the windows of a Palestinian car. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to agricultural areas nr. Nablus, sparking clashes with Palesinian stone-throwers. Israeli soldiers intervene to protect the settlers, injuring at least 7 Palestinians. Meanwhile, hundreds of settlers block off 2 roads in the Jordan Valley and n. of Ramallah in protest of recent Palestinian attacks. For the 8th time this quarter, rockets are fired from Gaza toward Israel. Although Sarayat al-Shaykh Umar Hadid fighters claim responsibility for the 2 rockets, IAF jets target a retaliatory air strike at a Hamas military site s. of Gaza City, causing severe damage. Off the coast nr. Gaza City, Israeli naval forces arrest 2 Palestinian fishermen. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 10/4; HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, NYT 10/5; PCHR 10/8)

In a televised statement, Israeli PM Netanyahu pledges to expedite the punitive demolitions of Palestinian attackers’ family homes, extend the terms of administrative detentions, and increase troop deployments in the oPt. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA 10/4; MNA, YA 10/5)

Tensions in East Jerusalem and the West Bank remain high as Israeli forces continue to enforce the restrictions on Palestinian access to Haram al-Sharif and Hebron’s al-Ibrahimi Mosque that were announced on 9/27 and 9/28, respectively. More than 150,000 Jews attend a ceremony at the Western Wall outside Haram al-Sharif for the Jewish holiday Sukkoth. Meanwhile, Israeli police assault several Palestinians outside 1 of 3 closed entrances to the sanctuary and arrest 3 others nearby. (AFP, MNA, WAFA 9/30; PCHR 10/1)

In Gaza, the Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing in 1 direction to allow Muslims to return to Gaza from Hajj. In the West Bank, IDF troops assault a Palestinian nr. Nablus; conduct raids nr. Hebron, arresting 2 Palestinians and sparking clashes with stonethrowing Palestinian youths (4 Palestinians are injured); patrol outside Hebron and Jenin during the day. Palestinians throw rocks at IDF troops outside Hebron, injuring 2. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 9/30; MNA, PCHR, TOI 10/1; PCHR 10/8)

In a speech to the UNGA in New York, PA pres. Abbas says that because the Israeli govt. continues to violate the Oslo Accords and other previous agreements on a daily basis, the Palestinians “cannot continue to be bound by [the] agreements” and that Israel “must assume all of its responsibilities as an occupying power”. At a ceremony outside the UN headquarters after the speech, Abbas and UN secy.-gen. Ban Ki-moon oversee the ceremonial raising of the Vatican and Palestinian flags. (AJA, HA, MNA, NYT, YA 9/30; AFP 10/1)

Also in New York, Middle East Quartet reps. meet with the Jordanian, Saudi, and Egyptian FMs, and they issue a statement calling on all parties to “exercise restraint” and maintain the status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites. They also agree to send Quartet envoys to Israel and the oPt in 10/2015 to facilitate the resumption of peace negotiations (the visit will be canceled on 10/12). (JP, TOI 10/1; HA 10/11)

In Gaza, Sarayat al-Shaykh Umar Hadid fighters fire a long-range rocket into Israel, announcing on Twitter that the rocket attack was retaliation for the IDF’s killing of a Palestinian on 9/22 in Hebron. The rocket is intercepted nr. Ashdod by an Iron Dome missile defense battery. IAF jets launch retaliatory air strikes on 4 Hamas military sites in Gaza City and n. Gaza, causing damage. Meanwhile, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion e. of Khan Yunis to level land. (HA, MNA, WAFA, YA 9/29; PCHR 10/1)

Tensions and violence in East Jerusalem and the West Bank continue to escalate. Israeli forces close Hebron’s al-Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslim worshippers and continue to enforce the restrictions on Palestinian access at Haram al-Sharif that were announced on 9/27, additionally closing all but 3 entrances to the sanctuary. Meanwhile, around 140 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif. In confrontations outside the sanctuary, Israeli MK Jamal Zahalka (Joint List) verbally confronts several Israeli police officers (the incident is caught on tape and dispersed on social media), and the Israeli police arrest 3 Palestinian women. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 10 Palestinians on raids in al-Tur, Issawiyya, and al-Thawri. An Israeli settler assaults a Palestinian in the Old City, causing minor injuries. Palestinians throw stones at a taxi in al-Tur, injuring 1 international tourist and sparking minor clashes with Israeli police. Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinian women after they assault an Israeli family in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. Palestinians throughout the West Bank conduct solidarity actions, halting most commercial and civil activity in Nablus and Jenin and protesting in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Tulkarm. Israeli forces violently disperse the protesters, injuring 1 foreign tourist and 18 Palestinians, including 3 with live ammunition. In Hebron, Palestinians throw rocks at international tourists, injuring 1 Japanese woman. Israeli forces conduct house searches and raids nr. Hebron, Nablus, Ramallah, and Tulkarm, arresting 6 Palestinians; patrol nr. Qalqilya. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 9/29; HA, JP, TOI, YA 9/30; PCHR 10/1)

In response to a petition filed by the Israeli nongovernmental organization Yesh Din, the Israeli govt. informs the High Court of Justice of its intention to authorize settlement outposts in the Shilo region nr. Ramallah, including Adi Ad and 3 other major outposts. Yesh Din’s petition called for the demolition of Adi Ad on the grounds that it was constructed without building permits on privately owned Palestinian land. (HA, TOI 9/30)

Tension in East Jerusalem continues to escalate surrounding Jewish holidays and access at Haram al-Sharif. After Palestinian youths spend the night in al-Aqsa Mosque, the Israeli police and Islamic Waqf officials spend the morning attempting to negotiate their exit, but the talks fail to produce an agreement. Then, 150 Israeli police officers raid Haram al-Sharif, evacuating Palestinians from al-Aqsa Mosque and sparking clashes with stone- and firebomb-throwing Palestinian youths for the 2d day in a row; 1 Israeli policeman and 22 Palestinians are injured, including 3 seriously. The Israeli authorities close all but 3 entrances to the sanctuary and later bar all Palestinian worshippers. Israeli forces also arrest 9 Palestinians on late-night raids in the Old City, Jabal Mukabir, Ras al-Amud, and Abu Dis. In a related development, the Israeli authorities announce they will close Hebron’s al-Ibrahimi Mosque, known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs, to Muslim worshippers on 9/29 and 9/30 to accommodate Jewish access during the Jewish holiday Sukkoth. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 9/28; PCHR 10/1)

In Gaza, a Hamas fighter dies in a smuggling tunnel accident. A Palestinian in Gaza City is injured when he accidentally detonates an unexploded Israeli munition. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct late-night raids and house searches in 1 village each nr. Ramallah and Hebron, arresting 3 Palestinians, assaulting several others, and damaging their property; patrol during the day nr. Hebron and Salfit. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 9/28; PCHR 10/1)

On the 2d day of Yom Kippur, Israeli forces escort a number of right-wing Jewish activists around Haram al-Sharif. The group attempts to perform Jewish rites in commemoration of the holiday, but they are blocked by Islamic Waqf guards. All Palestinian men under the age of 40 are barred from the sanctuary and all but 3 entrances are closed for the 2d day in a row. (HA, MNA, WAFA 9/23; PCHR 10/1)

In the West Bank, thousands of Palestinians march through c. Hebron for the funeral of the Palestinian woman who was killed by the IDF on 9/22, and clashes ensue between stone-throwing youths and Israeli forces. Late at night, Palestinians throw firebombs at an Israeli settlement nr. Ramallah, causing minor damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 12 Palestinians on late-night raids in Sur al-Bahir and Ras al-Amud. Meanwhile, Jewish Israeli youths throw stones at a Palestinian boy, causing minor injuries, and separately at Palestinian cars in s. Jerusalem. Unknown assailants throw a firebomb at a Jewish family’s home in Abu Tor, causing damage. On Gaza’s border e. of Jabaliya r.c., Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian attempting to cross into Israel for work. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 9/23; MNA, TOI 9/24; PCHR 10/1)

Israel’s Defense Ministry announces the easing of additional restrictions on Palestinian movement and access during the Muslim holiday ‘Id al-Adha, supplementing the restrictions announced on 9/21: border crossings hours will be extended; married men older than 45 and married women older than 30 from the West Bank will be allowed to pray at Haram al-Sharif on 9/24 and 9/25. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI 9/24)

As a “security precaution” on the 1st day of Yom Kippur, the IDF closes all checkpoints between Israel and the West Bank, barring Palestinians from entering Israel from noon today until midnight on 9/23. Additionally, the Israeli authorities close the Erez and Kerem Shalom border crossings into Gaza, and they deploy additional security barriers, mobile checkpoints, and police throughout East Jerusalem, to facilitate Jewish access to Haram al-Sharif. Meanwhile, all Palestinian men under the age of 40 are barred from the sanctuary. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 9/22; PCHR 10/1)

After IDF troops shoot and injure a young Palestinian at a checkpoint in Hebron, claiming that she attempted to stab 1 of them, a local activist group releases photos of the incident showing that the woman did not have a knife and that she was shot in the back. She succumbs to her injuries later in the day. IDF troops patrol nr. Hebron, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths; there are no serious injuries. Israeli forces conduct late-night raids and house searches in another village nr. Hebron, issuing 1 Palestinian an arrest summons; patrol during the day in Hebron and 2 villages nearby. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 9/22; PCHR 10/1)

Following 3 days of clashes in East Jerusalem, Israeli PM Netanyahu announces that “a modification of the rules of engagement will be examined as well as the establishment of a minimum penalty for those who throw stones”. Netanyahu also speaks with U.S. secy. of state John Kerry by phone and assures him that Israel intends to maintain the status quo at Haram al-Sharif. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, 9/16; YA 9/17; HA 9/19)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli police assault 2 Islamic Waqf guards and a number of Palestinian women at Haram al-Sharif after they attempt to confront several right-wing Jewish activists in the sanctuary. They also arrest 3 Palestinians in the Old City. In Gaza, unknown assailants fire a rocket toward Israel, and it falls short of the border nr. Dayr al-Balah. Meanwhile, the Israeli authorities permit 500 Palestinian farmers to access their land (3,500 to 4,000 dunams, or 863 to 988 acres) along the border with Israel, from which they have been barred for 15 years. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct late-night raids and house searches in and around Hebron, arresting 6 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 1; patrol nr. Hebron and Ramallah during the day. Israeli forces deliver a stop-work order to a home under construction in a village nr. Hebron. (TOI, WAFA 9/16; MNA, PCHR 9/17; PCHR 10/1)

In response to a day of violence in East Jerusalem and a fatal car crash in Sur al-Bahir, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announces that he is planning to fast-track a bill that would set mandatory minimum sentences for stone-throwing. Leaders of opposition parties—Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) and Tzipi Livni (Zionist Union)—say they support increasing deterrents to stone-throwing. Meanwhile, the violence in East Jerusalem continues with clashes at Haram al-Sharif and in Issawiyya, Ras al-Amud, and Shu‘fat r.c.; 3 Palestinians and 1 Israeli police officer are seriously injured, and 10 Palestinians are arrested. In the morning, around 38 right-wing Jewish activists tour the sanctuary. Meanwhile, Israeli forces seize an ambulance transporting a Palestinian injured in clashes with Israeli forces in Issawiyya. They then arrest the individual and redirect the ambulance to a different hospital. (HA, JP, TOI 9/14; TOI 9/15; PCHR 9/17)

On Gaza’s s. and n. borders, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians attempting to cross the border for work. Also, Israeli authorities close the Erez and Kerem Shalom border crossings, marking Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. In the West Bank, an Israeli settler assaults a Palestinian child in Hebron, causing minor injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently disperse Palestinians gathering nr. Tulkarm to protest the recent Israeli access restrictions at Haram al-Sharif, seriously injuring 1 Palestinian. IDF troops conduct house searches and raids nr. Hebron and Jenin, arresting 1 Palestinian and briefly detaining 3. (JP, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA, YA 9/14; PCHR 9/17)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault and arrest 1 Palestinian at an entrance to Haram al-Sharif while 30 right-wing Jewish activists tour the sanctuary. Another Palestinian is arrested in the Old City. Off Gaza’s s. coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct house searches and raids in Hebron and nr. Salfit, arresting 4 Palestinians and damaging some furniture. Similarly they patrol nr. Tulkarm, Hebron, and in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron. (MNA 9/10; PCHR 9/17)

The UNGA approves a res., 119–8, with 45 abstentions, to allow non-mbr. observer states— Palestine and the Vatican—to raise their flags outside the UN’s headquarters and offices (an official flag-raising ceremony will take place on 9/30). (MNA, NYT 9/10; HA, MNA 9/11)

The European Parliament passes a symbolic motion, 525–70, with 31 abstaining, that supports the labeling of products imported from Israel’s settlements. (HA, JP, TOI, YA 9/10)

In Paris, PA FM al-Maliki and French FM Fabius sign 5 agreements on politics, finance, and French-funded development projects in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). They also discuss updates on the French initiative to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, including a possible UNSC res. (MNA, WAFA 9/10)

After 2 weeks of increasing tension and clashes in East Jerusalem over access at Haram al-Sharif, Israeli authorities ban male and female volunteer guards— murabitun and murabitat—from the sanctuary on the grounds that they disturb and intimidate Jewish visitors. Around 50 Palestinian women gather outside Haram al-Sharif in the morning to protest the Israeli restrictions on their access. Late at night, suspected right-wing Jewish activists spray racist graffiti on walls in the Old City and Israeli forces arrest 7 Palestinians on raids in al-Tur and Jabal Mukabir. In the West Bank, unknown assailants shoot and lightly injure an Israeli settler driving nr. Nablus. Later, Israeli settlers set fire to dozens of olive trees outside a nearby Palestinian village and Israeli forces block the entrances to the village and order a curfew. Separately, Israeli forces raze agricultural land and seize an irrigation network nr. Hebron. IDF troops conduct late-night house searches and raids nr. Jericho, Jenin, Tulkarm, and Bethlehem, arresting 4 Palestinians; patrol in al-‘Arub r.c and nr. Hebron. The Israeli authorities reopen a road nr. Ramallah that has been closed for 15 years (it was initially reported reopened on 5/25, but Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories [COGAT] delayed the opening to perform unspecified maintenance). Off Gaza’s coast nr. Rafah, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. Later, Israeli forces e. of Khan Yunis arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel. (HA, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA 9/9; PCHR, WAFA 9/10; PCHR 9/17; OCHA 9/18)

PNC pres. Zanoun announces that the PNC convention scheduled for 9/14–15 has been postponed in response to various Palestinian political groups’ requests for a delay and calls for a boycott. He says that a comm. comprising himself, the PLO Exec. Comm., and the heads of the various factions will meet to prepare to convene the PNC within 3 mos. (JP, MNA, WAFA 9/9)

UNRWA commissioner-gen. Pierre Krähenbühl reaches an agreement with the UNRWA employees union in Gaza to end the recent protests over reductions in agency services. The union went on strike for a week on 8/24, then agreed to return to work on 8/31 in exchange for a tentative agreement to limit class sizes. (MNA 9/9)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces bar 3 Palestinian journalists from entering Haram al-Sharif while right-wing Jewish activists tour the sanctuary. Meanwhile, Israeli police and Palestinian youths clash for the 3d day in a row, in Issawiyya, injuring a Palestinian child. In Gaza, a Palestinian youth is seriously injured when he accidentally detonates an unexploded Israeli munition in Shuja‘iya. Israeli forces level land during a limited incursion e. of Rafah. In the West Bank, Israeli forces raze Palestinian land nr. Bethlehem and block off an agricultural road in a nearby village. IDF troops conduct house searches and raids nr. Jenin, Tulkarm, and Hebron, arresting 5 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 1; patrol in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron and nr. Salfit. Israeli settlers assault 3 Palestinians outside a settlement nr. Nablus. In Israel, 3 Jewish Israelis assault a Palestinian in Dayr Yasin nr. Jerusalem. (MNA, WAFA 9/8; JP, MNA 9/9; PCHR 9/10; OCHA 9/18; WAFA 10/1)

In response to cross-border gunfire on 9/2, the IAF launches 2 air strikes at a Hamas military site in n. Gaza, causing damage. IDF troops stationed along the n. border fence shoot and injure a Palestinian man allegedly attempting to cross into Israel from the sea, according to the IDF. Israeli forces level land during a limited incursion e. of Khan Yunis. Believing they are Israeli settlers, Palestinians torch a car belonging to 5 U.S. Jewish tourists nr. Hebron, lightly injuring 2 of them with stones. Another Palestinian shelters the tourists in his home until Israeli troops collect them. Israeli forces then raid the area, sparking clashes with the stone-throwing youths. Separately, IDF troops escort around 400 Israeli settlers to Joseph’s Tomb on the outskirts of Nablus. Clashes erupt with Palestinian youths, but there are no serious injuries. Meanwhile, the IDF patrols nr. Tulkarm and Hebron. Israeli forces demolish 7 homes and agricultural structures in a village nr. Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities ban 40 Palestinian women from entering Haram al-Sharif for periods between 10 and 60 days. They arrest 1 Palestinian at an entrance to the sanctuary and issue an arrest summons to another during a raid in nearby Silwan. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 9/3; YA 9/4; PCHR 9/10)

At least 4 rockets are fired from Syria into the Galilee area of n. Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, causing no damage or injuries. Claiming it was a deliberate attack by Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the IDF carries out artillery and air strikes on 14 Syrian govt. sites in the Syrian Golan Heights, killing at least 1 person and injuring at least 7. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces detain a Palestinian woman at an entrance to Haram al-Sharif as right-wing Jewish activists tour the sanctuary; light clashes break out, but there are no serious injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers enter the Nablus area to perform religious rites at Joseph’s Tomb, sparking confrontations between the settlers’ IDF escort and Palestinian residents; there are no serious injuries. Israeli forces demolish a number of residential structures and an agricultural facility nr. Tubas. IDF troops conduct late-night house searches and raids in 1 village nr. Hebron; patrol during the day in al-‘Arub r.c. as well as nr. Hebron and Tulkarm. Off Gaza’s coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 8/20; HA, MNA 8/21; PCHR 8/27)

Off Gaza’s coast nr. Gaza City, Israeli naval forces fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats, causing damage to several. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids in 2 villages nr. Hebron, 1 nr. Nablus, and Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, arresting 6 Palestinians; patrols in al-‘Arub r.c. and 1 village nr. Hebron, and 1 village nr. Nablus. Israeli water company Mekorot cuts off the water supply to a number of areas in the n. West Bank. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault and detain a Palestinian at Haram al-Sharif after the man is pushed by a right-wing Jewish activist; 1 other Palestinian is arrested after the confrontation. They also arrest 1 Palestinian on a late-night raid in Qalandia r.c. In Israel, around 100 PCI gather outside the Barzilai Medical Center to protest the proposed force-feeding of Palestinian prisoner Allan, and they clash with around 50 Jewish Israeli counterprotesters, who threw stones and bottles. Israeli forces break up the protests with a water cannon; a number of Israeli and Palestinian protesters are arrested. (HA, MNA, YA 8/12; PCHR 8/13; PCHR 8/20)

Hamas leader Mishal leads a delegation to Turkey and meets with Turkish pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and PM Ahmet Davutoğlu about “activating the Palestinian cause on the regional and international levels,” according to Hamas sources. Meanwhile, Palestinians and Arab media outlets report that Mishal recently met with former Quartet envoy Blair for the 2d time in 6 weeks to discuss the prospects for Israel and Hamas reaching a long-term cease-fire. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI 8/12; MEMO 8/13)

In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian man after he allegedly participates in a group stabbing of an Israeli settler nr. Ramallah. The Israeli settler is moderately injured. On a series of raids of Israeli settlement outposts nr. Nablus, Israeli forces arrest as many as 9 Israeli settlers suspected of recent attacks and perpetrating the 7/31 arson attack in Duma, nr. Nablus, that led to the death of 3 Palestinians; 2 of the suspects are placed in administrative detention; they also deliver stop-work orders to 2 EU-funded water tanks under construction nr. Hebron. The IDF conducts late-night raids and house searches in Hebron and 1 nearby village, Jenin, and Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, arresting 6 Palestinians and issuing an arrest summons to 1; patrols during the day in al-Fawar r.c. and 2 villages nr. Hebron, 4 villages nr. Jenin, and 1 nr. Qalqilya. Israeli forces demolish 3 dirt roads and 3 olive trees nr. Qalqilya and a livestock building in a village nr. Salfit; deliver a notice to a water tank operator in a village nr. Hebron, requiring him to halt operations. A Palestinian child is seriously injured when he accidentally triggers a piece of unexploded Israeli ordnance nr. Hebron. Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian agricultural land nr. Nablus, burning hundreds of acres. Off the coast of Gaza nr. Dayr al-Balah, Israeli naval forces fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries, then arrest 2 fishermen. Outside UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City, hundreds of Palestinians gather to protest the agency’s proposed cuts in services for the 3d Sunday in a row. In East Jerusalem, around 30 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 8/9; YA 8/10; HA 8/12; PCHR 8/13)

After around 32 Palestinian prisoners join the mass open-ended hunger strike in Israel’s Nafha and Ramon Prisons, bringing the number of total participants to 180, the prisoners decide to end their strike, which began on 8/5. The Israel Prison Service (IPS) says no deal was made, but Palestinian Prisoners Society chair Qadura Fares says that IPS agreed to several concessions on terms of cell searches and other issues. Meanwhile, Israeli doctors at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba say they will refuse to force-feed hungerstriking Palestinian prisoner Allan. (MNA, TOI 8/9; HA, MNA, TOI 8/10)

In Gaza, 2 rockets are fired toward Israel, with 1 falling short of the n. border and the other exploding in open land on the Israeli side of the border fence; neither cause major damage. Off the n. coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinian refugees gather in front of UNRWA’s headquarters in Gaza City for the 2d Sunday in a row to protest the agency’s recent reduction in services. In the West Bank, thousands of Palestinians march in Duma, nr. Nablus, in solidarity with the victims of the 7/31 arson attack in the village. Israeli forces erect mobile checkpoints outside the village to stop the march, sparking clashes in the evening; there are no serious injuries. IDF troops assault 1 Palestinian each in c. Hebron and Bethlehem; conduct late-night raids and house searches in 2 villages nr. Nablus, arresting 2 Palestinians; patrol during the day in 3 villages nr. Hebron. Israeli settlers return to the evacuated Sa-Nur settlement, harassing Palestinians in the area; throw rocks at a Palestinian bus s. of Hebron, causing minor damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities increase restrictions on Palestinians’ access to Haram al-Sharif, barring all Palestinian women and men under the age of 30 from entering between 7:00 and 11:00 A.M. Israeli forces detain 5 Palestinians as they leave the sanctuary. Later, minor clashes break out when 30 right-wing Jewish activists tour the sanctuary; there are no serious injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces also set up mobile checkpoints at 5 entrances to the Old City. In c. Israel, 3 Jewish Israelis assault a Palestinian in Lydda, shouting that he should be forced out of the city. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 8/2; MNA, TOI 8/3; PCHR 8/6)

U.S. and Egyptian officials, including U.S. secy. of state Kerry, meet in Cairo for a Egypt-U.S. strategic dialogue, the 1st such meeting since 12/2009. (SIS 7/17; AHR 7/27; AP, NYT, REU 8/2)

Off Gaza’s coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse stone-throwing Palestinians nr. Jalazun r.c. outside Ramallah after the funeral for the Palestinian who was shot nr. Atara checkpoint on 7/31; 8 Palestinians are injured. Further clashes break out between stone-throwing Palestinians and IDF troops nr. the site of the 7/31 arson attack in Duma and in 1 village each nr. Nablus, Jenin, and Qalqilya; there are no serious injuries. Israeli settlers assault Palestinian farmers working nr. Nablus; IDF troops nonviolently disperse the settlers and farmers, and declare the area a closed military zone. Later, settlers and IDF troops attack a Palestinian farmer working s. of Nablus, injuring him. A separate group of settlers sets fire to agricultural lands nr. Ramallah, then IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians who attempt to extinguish it, injuring 2. IDF troops fire rubber-coated metal bullets at Palestinians nr. the separation wall outside Qalqilya and in a nearby village, causing no injuries. Overnight and into the morning, Palestinians gather at Joseph’s Tomb outside Nablus to protest the 7/31 arson attack; PASF troops disperse the protesters, blocking them from setting the Jewish holy site on fire. The IDF also conducts late-night house searches and raids in Hebron and 3 villages nr. Ramallah, arresting 7 Palestinians, assaulting 2, and confiscating property; patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho and 1 nr. Jenin; assaults a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Bethlehem, causing moderate injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians during raids in and around the Old City. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 8/1; PCHR 8/6)

Overnight in the West Bank, 4 Jewish extremists set fire to 2 Palestinian family homes in the village of Duma, nr. Nablus, killing an 18-mo.-old child and severely injuring the 3 other mbrs. of his family (the father and mother will succumb to their injuries on 8/8 and 9/7, respectively). The extremists leave price-tag graffiti nr. the site of the attack. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at demonstrations against the Israeli occupation and the morning’s arson attack in 6 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, Jalazun r.c., Silwad, and outside Ofer Prison) and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; 4 Palestinians are injured. They also violently disperse Palestinians gathering in Hebron and 1 village nearby to protest the morning’s arson attack, injuring 6. In the evening, clashes break out at Atara checkpoint nr. Ramallah, and Israeli soldiers shoot a Palestinian in the back, critically injuring him (he will succumb to his injuries on 8/1). During the day, Israeli forces patrol in 5 villages nr. Hebron and 1 each nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah; assault a Palestinian driver at a checkpoint nr. Nablus. An Israeli settler rams a Palestinian firefighter with a car while he is putting out a fire nr. Hebron. Israeli settlers also damage 35 olive tree seedlings nr. Ramallah. Elsewhere, a Palestinian opens fire on an Israeli vehicle nr. Ramallah, causing damage. Late at night, unknown assailants throw a molotov cocktail at a Hamas leader’s car in Jenin. IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Bayt Lahiya open fire on a small group of Palestinians approaching the border fence to protest the morning’s arson attack nr. Jenin, killing 1 and moderately wounding another. In East Jerusalem, the Israeli authorities bar men under 50 from entering Haram al-Sharif in the wake of the morning arson attack. Clashes break out across the city, with Israeli forces firing rubber-coated metal bullets at Palestinian protesters in Shu‘fat r.c., Issawiyya, Bayt Hanina, al-Suwana, al-Tur, and Silwan; 2 Israeli police officers and 13 Palestinians are injured, including 1 seriously. Meanwhile, unknown assailants throw rocks and firebombs in the Old City, injuring 1 Israeli police officer. An Israeli settler rams a Palestinian with a car in Ras al-Amud, injuring him. During the day, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinians on raids and patrols in the Old City and Silwan. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 7/31; HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 8/1; PCHR 8/6)

In Ramallah, 5 new ministers are sworn into the PA consensus govt. after being announced on 7/30. (MNA 7/30; HA, YA 8/4; MNA 8/5)

In Gaza, IDF troops level land e. of the Gaza Valley along the border fence. In the West Bank, Israeli forces issue a stop-work order to Palestinians constructing a UN Development Programme–funded well in a village nr. Tubas; patrol in al-‘Arub r.c. and 2 villages nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces bar Palestinian children from entering Haram al-Sharif while a group of right-wing Jewish activists tours the sanctuary; arrest a Palestinian on a raid nr. the Old City. (MNA, WAFA 7/30; PCHR 8/6)

The PA announces that 5 new ministers will be sworn in on 7/31, implementing the cabinet “reshuffle” that the PLO leadership approved on 6/30. Hussein al-Araj will serve as min. of local governance; Sabri Saydam will serve as min. of education; Samih al-Abed will serve as min. of transportation; Sufian Sultan will serve as min. of agriculture; and Abeer Odeh will serve as min. of national economy. Hamas calls the move “unconstitutional and outside consensus”. (MNA 7/30)

After an all-night session, Israel’s Knesset passes, 46–40, the 2d and 3d readings of a bill to allow force-feeding of prisoners on hunger strike that was approved by the Israeli cabinet on 6/14. The new law will allow judges to approve force-feeding if there is a clear threat to an inmate’s life. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 7/30)

In Gaza, hundreds of Palestinians gather outside the UNRWA office in Gaza City to protest the agency’s reduction of services. Off the n. coast, Israeli naval forces fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct late-night raids and searches in 1 village each nr. Nablus, Ramallah, and Salfit, confiscating property and arresting 2 Palestinians; patrol during the day in 1 village nr. Ramallah, 3 nr. Hebron, and Tulkarm. Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinians allegedly selling fireworks in a village nr. Qalqilya claiming that they were to be used in attacks on IDF troops. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinians nr. Nablus, then Israeli forces intervene and arrest 1 Palestinian.

In East Jerusalem, stone-throwing Palestinian worshippers who spent the night in al-Aqsa Mosque clash with Israeli police at Haram al-Sharif; 10 Palestinians are injured and 6 are arrested. The Palestinians spent the night in the sanctuary in order to circumvent Israeli restrictions on their access today, a Jewish holiday. Later, around 850 Jewish visitors tour the sanctuary under an Israeli police escort. Clashes continue later in the day when as many as 150 Israeli special forces escort 70 right-wing Jewish activists on a tour of the sanctuary; 19 guards from the Islamic Waqf, 2 Palestinian journalists, and 4 Israeli police officers are injured, and 5 Palestinians are detained. Separately, Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians on raids in Silwan. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT, TOI, YA 7/26; MNA 7/27; PCHR 7/30)

Israel’s High Court of Justice orders an immediate halt to the construction of 296 settler residences in the Beit El settlement and upholds its order for the demolition of 2 residential buildings in Beit El by the end of 7/2015. Meanwhile, Haaretz reports on an internal IDF document apparently showing that Palestinian residents of Susiya village nr. Hebron have legitimate ownership claims to their village’s land, which supports their efforts to stop the planned evacuation and demolition of their village. (HA, JP, MDW, TOI, WAFA 7/26; YA 7/27)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of al-Bureij r.c. fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers approaching the border fence, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct late-night raids in Hebron and 1 village each nr. Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Jenin, arresting 5 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 3; patrol during the day in 3 villages nr. Ramallah, 2 nr. Jericho, and 1 nr. Jenin. They also violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli and international activists at a demonstration against the Israeli occupation in Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, injuring 2 Palestinians. Israeli settlers fill an agricultural well with stones and earth nr. Salfit. In East Jerusalem, right-wing Jewish activists assault a Palestinian child outside Haram al-Sharif. A group of Palestinians intervenes and the activists flee the scene. (MNA, WAFA 7/25; MNA 7/26; PCHR 7/30)

Israel’s Justice Min. Ayelet Shaked says that the proposed release of Israeli spy Pollard from U.S. prison in 11/2015 is not connected to Israel’s complaints about the nuclear deal announced by Iran and the P5+1 on 7/14. Meanwhile, U.S. atty. gen. Loretta Lynch says that the Justice Dept. “will not interfere” in Pollard’s case, meaning that she will not seek to accelerate or delay his release beyond the standard parole procedures. (HA, MNA 7/26; TOI 7/27)