The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian minor succumbed to wounds sustained from Israeli live ammunition on 5/18. Israeli settlers leveled land in Kisan. Israeli settlers also set up mobile homes south of Hebron. Israeli forces also raided Jaba‘, injuring 4, including 1 minor, when Palestinians confronted the forces. Israeli forces also raided ‘Araqa, injuring 1 minor with live ammunition, when Palestinians confronted the forces. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bethlehem, injuring 7 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Nablus, Jenin, and Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided al-Makassed Hospital, leaving without making arrests. 8 Palestinians were arrested during raids in the Old City, al-Tur, Silwan, and Shu‘fat. In Gaza, 4 Palestinians were killed and many were injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 232 to 236, including 65 children and 3 pregnant women. The casualties included: 1, and 9 wounded, including 3 children, during an air strike on a house in Khan Yunis; 1, and 1 wounded in an air strike on Bayt Lahiya; 2 in an air strike on a car traveling in Jabaliya. Israeli air strikes also hit power lines near Rafah, causing a total electricity blackout in the city. Israeli forces attacked 1 house in Khan Yunis, causing damage, but the missile remained unexploded as it landed on a bed, saving the family living in the house. 4 factories were also destroyed by Israeli air strikes in an industrial zone east in al-Muntar. In Israel, 1 Israeli soldier was injured by an anti-tank missile rocket fired from Gaza at a military bus. 1 rocket from Gaza hit a house in Ashkelon, causing damage; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces violently dispersed a funeral procession for 1 Palestinian-Israeli who was killed by Israeli police on 5/19 in Umm al-Fahm; 3 were arrested; a general strike was also called in Umm al-Fahm in protest over the killing. (AJ, HA, HA, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/20; MEE, PCHR 5/21; NYT 5/26; PCHR 5/27)

It was reported that a ceasefire between Hamas, Islamic Jihad in Palestine, and Israel had been brokered by Egypt and would take effect at 2 a.m. on 5/21. Prior to the reporting, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had called a meeting at the security cabinet. Shortly after the 2 sides announced the ceasefire, U.S. president Joe Biden praised Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for his role in the ceasefire and Prime Minister Netanyahu for agreeing to it. Biden said in remarks that “Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy,” in what can be viewed as a slight shift in the paradigm of U.S. statements on Israel and Palestine. President al-Sisi also praised President Biden for his work on the ceasefire agreement. Several prominent Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate welcomed the news of the ceasefire, but said it was time to do more to resolve the roots of the conflict. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki called for the world to address the core issues, saying that the ceasefire is not enough. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AP, AX, AX, GDN, HA, REU, REU, WAFA 5/20; AM, AP, CNN, FOX, HA, HA 5/21)

Haaretz reported that 90% of the Israeli citizens charged for the violence in Israeli towns and cities since the start of the Hamas-Israel escalation were Palestinian citizens of Israel. District prosecutors have been criticized for not indicting Jewish-Israelis. (HA 5/20)

Adalah filed a petition on behalf of Palestinians in Shayk Jarrah to have Israeli police remove checkpoints around the neighborhood, which are severely impeding the residents’ freedom of movement. The checkpoints are also meant to block entry of Palestinians who are not residents of the neighborhood, as many residents remain threatened by evictions. (Adalah, HA 5/20)

The Israeli Electric Company said it would not restore the damaged power lines in Gaza until 2 Israelis, believed to be held captive by Hamas, and the bodies of 2 dead Israelis are returned to Israel. (HA 5/20)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with German chancellor Angela Merkel about efforts to get a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. President Abbas also met with German foreign minister Heiko Maas in Ramallah. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 5/20)

Before the ceasefire was announced, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh wrote a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, asking for “mobilization of Arab, Islamic and international support” in ending Israeli air strikes. (AP 5/20)

Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani said that the country had reached an agreement in principle with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signatories about complying with and having the U.S. rejoin the deal. (HA 5/20)

U.S. senator and chair of the Senate budget committee Bernie Sanders (D-VT) said he would introduce a resolution of disapproval of a $735 million arms sale to Israel. (AJ, ALM, HA, REU 5/20)

At the UN, U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the U.S. had “not been silent,” despite blocking UN security council statements criticizing the violence from the latest escalation between Hamas and Israel. UN general-secretary António Guterres said he was “deeply shocked by the continued air and artillery bombardment” of Gaza and said that Gaza’s children lived in “hell on Earth.” No unified statement was released by the UN general assembly. (AJ, AJ, ALM, HA, REU 5/20)

1 Jewish AP reporter was fired after Stanford University College Republicans criticized her for pro-Palestinian activism while she was a student at the school, before she was hired at AP. Later, more than 100 AP journalists wrote an open letter to AP criticizing the decision. (SFGATE 5/20; FOX, MEE, MEMO 5/21; MEE 5/22; MEE 5/24)

The foreign minister of Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia visited Israel upon the invitation of Israeli foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi to be briefed on the Israeli-Hamas escalation. In meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the 3 foreign ministers were shown parts of a drone that had been shot down on 5/18 that Netanyahu claimed was Iranian. (ALM, HA 5/20)

Unidentified persons launch a rocket from Gaza into central Israel. It strikes an Israeli home north of Tel Aviv, injuring 7 Jewish Israelis and causing damage. The Israeli Air Force then retaliates with dozens of air strikes on Hamas sites all across Gaza, causing extensive damage and injuring at least 3 Palestinians. Palestinians in Gaza respond, firing at least 50 projectiles into southern Israel and setting of hours of cross-border attacks. An hour after an Egyptian- and UN-backed cease-fire is supposed to go into effect, 30 projectiles are fired into Israel from Gaza. Most are intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. The rest land in open areas, causing no damage or injuries. The Israeli Air Force then continues its air strikes across Gaza, bombing at least 15 targets in and around Jabaliya refugee camp and causing extensive damage. (EI, HA, HA, HA, JP, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, TOI, TOI, WAFA, YA, YA 3/25; HA, MNA, YA 3/26; PCHR 3/28)

After a rocket from Gaza strikes an Israeli home near Tel Aviv (see above), Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces that he is cutting his trip to the U.S. short. He still meets with President Donald Trump at the White House, but he skips his planned address at the annual AIPAC conference. At their meeting, Trump signs a formal declaration conveying U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, codifying his 3/21 pledge. Meanwhile, the Israeli authorities decide to indefinitely shut down the Erez and Kerem Shalom border crossings, blocking all traffic of persons and good in and out of Gaza. (EI, HA, HA, HA, JP, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, TOI, TOI, WAFA, YA, YA 3/25; HA, MNA, YA 3/26)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers spray-paint racist anti-Palestinian graffiti on Palestinian vehicles and buildings near Jerusalem. They also puncture the tires of 28 Palestinian vehicles. Separately, settlers chop down a number of olive and almond trees in a Palestinian grove near Hebron. Israeli forces deliver stop-work orders to 2 Palestinian homes under construction near Hebron and a water well under construction near Tubas. IDF troops arrest 6 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron and Ramallah; and patrol near Salfit and Qalqilya. An unexploded piece of Israeli ordnance detonates near Bethlehem, injuring 3 Palestinian minors. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 9 Palestinians during late-night raids in al-Tur, Jabal Mukabir, Hizma, and Silwan. (MNA, MNA, MNA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/25; PCHR 3/28)

IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian driver at a checkpoint near Jericho. The IDF claims that he refused to pull over when border security ordered him to and that he attempted to ram his vehicle into several Israeli soldiers. Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli settlers chase Palestinians shepherds off their land near Jericho, sparking a minor confrontation between the settlers and Palestinian activists; IDF troops arrest 4 shepherds and 2 activists. Meanwhile, IDF troops arrest 6 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Jenin, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, and Hebron; and patrol near Hebron, Jenin, and Qalqilya. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian minor approaching the border fence near al-Bureij refugee camp. It’s unclear why they opened fire. Late at night, after unidentified Palestinians launch a rocket and fly an incendiary balloon into southern Gaza, causing no damage or injuries, the Israeli Air Force conducts air strikes on several Hamas sites in northern Gaza and Dayr al-Balah, causing extensive damage. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Gaza City, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian family demolishes their own home in Jabal Mukabir to avoid paying Israeli demolition fees. (HA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/9; HA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, YA 3/10; PCHR 3/14)

After a night of air strikes in Gaza, unidentified Gazans fire 5 rockets at southern Israel. Four are intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system; the 5th lands in an open area, causing no damage or injuries. The Israeli Air Force then conduct air strikes on sites near Jabaliya refugee camp and Khan Yunis, causing damage. In the West Bank, an IDF driver rams 2 Palestinians during a patrol near Qalqilya, causing moderate injuries to both. Separately, IDF troops arrest 4 Palestinians during late-night raids near Bethlehem and Tulkarm; and patrol near Hebron. (HA, MNA, WAFA 10/27; PCHR 11/1)

An IDF spokesperson claims that Islamic Jihad in Palestine (PIJ) was responsible for the rocket fire on 10/26 “with clear guidance from Iran and the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force in Syria.” A PIJ spokesperson then says that the group has reached a new agreement to end the violence in Gaza, thanks to Egyptian mediation. “After contacts between the Islamic Jihad leadership and the brothers in Egypt, it was agreed that a comprehensive cease-fire will begin immediately,” he says. (HA, MNA, TOI, TOI, TOI, YA 10/27)

A day after Israeli prime minister Netanyahu visited Oman, Omani foreign minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah says that the Omani government is “very optimistic” about the Trump administration’s Palestinian-Israeli peace efforts. “We are not mediators in Israel-Palestine, but we offer facilitation and ideas to help 2 parties to come together,” he adds. “We are not saying that the road is now easy and paved with flowers, but our priority is to put an end to the conflict and move to a new world.” (AFP, HA, REU, TOI, YA 10/27)

The World Bank announces that it has increased its annual allotment of aid to the Palestinians from $55 million to $90 million this year. The organization’s new strategy, adopted in 12/2017, has a “very strong focus on job creation and private sector development,” according to a World Bank spokesperson. (WAFA 10/27)

Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return. IDF troops violently disperse them near Gaza City, al-Bureij refugee camp, Jabaliya refugee camp, Rafah, and Khan Yunis; more than 120 Palestinians are injured. Amid the protests, Hamas snipers shoot and kill an Israeli soldier on the other side of the border fence. After the killing, Israeli forces carry out extensive air strikes and artillery shelling across Gaza; 3 Hamas fighters are killed in strikes near Khan Yunis and 1 more Palestinian is killed in Rafah. An IDF spokesperson says that 68 Hamas targets were hit and the attacks “eliminated about 60 buildings and infrastructures and revoked significant military and command and control capabilities.” Amid the attack, unidentified Palestinians launch 3 rockets into Israel; 2 are intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, and 1 lands in an open area, causing no damage or injuries. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians at Friday protests against the Israeli occupation in Kafr Qaddum near Qalqilya; 3 Palestinians are injured. They also arrest 1 Palestinian during raids near Bethlehem, and patrol near Hebron. In East Jerusalem, unidentified persons attach an incendiary device to a balloon and fly it from Bayt Jala into the Har Gilo settlement, marking the first use of such devices in the city, but causing no damage or injuries. (MNA, WAFA 7/20; HA 7/21; PCHR 7/26)

Following the extensive Israeli strikes in Gaza, Hamas and Israel agree to a cease-fire mediated by Egyptian and UN officials. A senior Hamas official says that the agreement provides for the “cessation of all forms of military escalation,” including air strikes, mortars, and rockets. However, he says that incendiary balloons and kites are not part of the agreement (a senior Israeli official will dispute this on 7/21). The Egyptians reportedly threatened to impose their own restrictions on Gaza should Hamas not end the incendiary kite and balloon attacks on Israel. (HA, MNA, TOI, YA 7/21)

A small Salafi group fires a rocket from Gaza into Israel, which explodes in Sderot, causing no injuries and minor damage. Holding Hamas responsible, the IDF fires tank shells and launches at least 25 air strikes on Hamas military sites in Bayt Hanun, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, causing substantial damage. After the air strikes, the Israeli press reports that Hamas sent a message via a 3d party pledging to try to deescalate tensions and to stop small armed groups from firing more rockets. Meanwhile, an Israeli jet crashes on its return trip from a sortie in Gaza, killing the pilot and injuring another Israeli airman. An IDF spokesperson says that the 2 men ejected from the aircraft before the crash, and that the cause of the crash was unknown. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/5; PCHR, TOI 10/6)

The IDF lifts its 3-day general closure of the West Bank overnight, allowing Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to use border crossings into Israel again. They also lift their 1.5 mo. closure of Kifl Haris village nr. Salfit. The village was closed after reports of stonethrowing in the area. Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli forces level 36 dunams (9 acres) of Palestinian land nr. Hebron, destroying numerous plum and olive trees. IDF troops arrest 17 Palestinians during late-night raids and house searches nr. Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 15 Palestinians during raids in Issawiyya and al-Tur. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Gaza City and Khan Yunis, causing no damage or injuries. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers and shepherds working nr. Gaza City, causing no injuries. (MNA, WAFA 10/5; PCHR 10/13)

A delegation of ICC officials, including chief prosecutor Bensouda, arrives in Israel for a 5-day educational visit. They will meet with both Israeli and Palestinian officials. Bensouda is still conducting the preliminary examination into alleged war crimes that she initiated in 1/2015 at the Palestinians’ request. However, the ICC officials explicitly state that they are not in Israel to “engage in evidence collection in relation to any alleged crimes” or to “assess the adequacy of the respective legal systems to deal with crimes that fall within ICC jurisdiction." (HA, JP, TOI 10/5)

Israeli naval forces intercept the ship Zaytouna around 35 naut. mi. off the coast of Gaza and peacefully arrest its all-female crew of solidarity activists. The takeover and escort to the port of Ashdod are “uneventful,” according to the IDF. The women are then detained at Givon Prison ahead of their likely deportation. PLO secy.-gen. Saeb Erekat says, “We strongly condemn the Israeli aggression today against the international flotilla that attempted to break the illegal Israeli siege over 1.8 m. people in Gaza.” (EI, HA, MNA, NYT, WAFA 10/5)

Stabbing and other small-scale incidents continue, keeping tensions high in the oPt. IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian driver at a junction nr. Nablus after he rams a group of Israelis with his vehicle, injuring 4 (a 5th Israeli is injured by errant fire during the incident). Israeli settlers block a nearby road to protest the attack. An Israeli security guard shoots and seriously injures a Palestinian woman at the entrance to a settlement nr. Bethlehem after she stabs and lightly injures him. The IDF then raids several homes in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths; there are no serious injuries. Later, a Palestinian stabs and moderately injures an Israeli settler in a village nr. Qalqilya. IDF troops raid the village after the attack, searching a number of houses and detaining 15 Palestinians. (EI, MNA, 11/8; HA 11/9; PCHR 11/12)

Elsewhere in the oPt, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians protesting w. of Tulkarm and outside a settlement nr. Ramallah; 4 Palestinians are injured. The IDF conducts late-night house searches and raids in Nablus and 2 villages each nr. Hebron and Ramallah, arresting 4 Palestinians. In Gaza, unknown persons fire a rocket into s. Israel. It lands in an open area, causing no damage or injuries. IAF jets launch a retaliatory air strike on a Hamas military base nr. Rafah late at night, causing damage. Off the coast nr. Khan Yunis, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 6 Palestinians on raids and patrols in Silwan and nr. the Old City. (HA, MNA, TOI, YA 11/8; HA, JP, MNA, YA 11/9; PCHR 11/12)

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians fire a rocket into s. Israel in the Eshkol region. Israel holds Hamas responsible and the IDF launches a latenight air strike at a Hamas military training site nr. Khan Yunis, causing damage to the site and a nearby UNRWA school. It is the 1st Israeli bombing in Gaza since the 8/26 cease-fire ended OPE. In the West Bank, Palestinians gather in Turmus ‘Ayya, Silwad, and Ofer detention center to protest the death of a senior PA official on 12/10, sparking clashes with IDF troops in which 9 Palestinians are injured with rubbercoated metal bullets and 2 are detained. In Silwad, Israeli soldiers deliberately fire at electricity transformers, causing a power outage. Also, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin), Bethlehem, and Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), shooting 1 in Bil‘in with a rubber-coated metal bullet and 1 in Ni‘lin. The IDF conducts an arrest raid nr. Qalqilya; patrols nr. Ramallah, Hebron, Jericho, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya. Meanwhile, dozens gather in Balata r.c. to celebrate the 47th anniversary of the PFLP. In East Jerusalem, nearly 60,000 Palestinians pray at Haram al-Sharif, then march through the streets of the Old City in protest of Israeli policies regarding the site. Later, Israeli forces conduct house searches and arrest raids in the Old City, al-Wad, Silwan, and al-Bustan. Clashes break out between Israeli police and stone-throwing Palestinians late at night in Wadi al-Juz, Anata, and Silwan. Police injure 3 Palestinians with rubber-coated metal bullets and arrest 5. (AP, HA, MNA, 12/19; AFP, HA, MNA, WAFA 12/20; PCHR 12/25)

U.S. Pres. Obama signs into law the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act, which includes increased intelligence and military cooperation and new congressional oversight procedures. (TOI 12/20; IHY, JP, JTA 12/21)

The UNGApasses 2 nonbinding res. regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict and Palestinian affairs: the 1st calls on Israel to pay Lebanon $856.4 m. in damages related to an oil spill Israeli forces caused during the 2006 war; the 2d recognizes Palestinian sovereignty over the natural resources in the oPt. (AFP, WAFA 12/20)

A leaked report from the IAEA concludes that Iran is upholding commitments made to the P5+1 related to its disputed nuclear program. (JP, REU 12/18)

The IDF continues its assault on the Gaza Strip, conducting air strikes and advancing its ground offensive. Israeli attacks kill 144 Palestinians. In air strikes on 3 homes in Khan Yunis, 13 Palestinians from the same family are killed. Israeli tank fire hits Gaza’s only power plant, partially destroying it and further cutting electricity to Gaza City and other parts of the territory. The plant’s director says that it is “finished.” Meanwhile, the IDF gives evacuation orders to more than 400,000 residents of n. Gaza. Armed Palestinian groups fire rockets into Israel, with air raid sirens in Ashqelon and nr. Jerusalem, among other places. Iron Dome batteries intercept 1 rocket above the Gush Etzion settlement bloc nr. Bethlehem, a projectile claimed by al-Quds Brigades. In the West Bank, a Palestinian dies in Hebron, succumbing to injuries he received in clashes with IDF troops on 7/20. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids into 1 village nr. Nablus and Tulkarm at night. (AFP, AP, JP, MNA, REU, YA 7/29; PCHR 7/30)

PLO official Yasir ‘Abid Rabbuh announces that the various factions agreed to a 24-hour truce, but his claim is subsequently denied by Hamas. Al-Qassam Brigades head Mohammed Deif says in an audio address that there will be no long-term cease-fire without “the stop of the aggression and the end of the siege.” (AFP, AP, Guardian, HA, JP, MNA, REU, YA 7/29)

The IDF launches OPE, a major assault on the Gaza Strip. Israeli air strikes hit 150 targets across Gaza, killing 23 Palestinians and wounding more than 100. One attack in Khan Yunis kills 8 mbrs. of the same family when their home is bombed. Hamas fighters infiltrate Israel by sea nr. Kibbutz Zikim and are all killed, according to the IDF. Al-Qassam Brigades says the operation goes as planned. Palestiniansfire approximately 130 rockets into Israel, with Iron Dome batteries intercepting at least 23 of them. Some rockets reach c. Israel, though most fall in the s. Warning sirens are heard in Tel Aviv, where an Iron Dome battery intercepts 3 rockets. The rockets cause damage to 2 houses, and lightly injure 2 people. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and injure 3 Palestinians during clashes nr. Qalandia checkpoint, and also shoot and injure 2 Palestinians in clashes in n. Bethlehem. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Nablus, 2 nearby villages, and Balata r.c. at night. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces detain 31 Palestinians in relation to the recent protests. (AFP, HA, JP, MNA, REU, YA 7/8; PCHR 7/10)

The Israeli govt. authorizes a call-up of some 40,000 reserve troops, in preparation for a possible ground invasion. Israeli DM Ya’alon says it is likely to be a protracted campaign that will “exact a very heavy price from Hamas.” Al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Ubayda says that Israel must cease its offensive and commit to the 2012 cease-fire agreement. PA Pres. Abbas, meanwhile, demands that Israel immediately halt its offensive and asks the international community to intervene to halt the escalation. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, MNA, PCHR, REU, YA 7/8)

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians fire 5 rockets into s. Israel. No damage or injuries are caused, except nr. Sderot, where a rocket hits a factory and injures 2 workers. The IDF conducts an air strike on a site nr. al-Bureij r.c., causing damage but no injuries. IDF troops also open fire on agricultural lands close to the border fence nr. Khan Yunis, injuring 2 civilians. Off the coast nr. Khan Yunis, IDF naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishermen, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 2 villages each nr. Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and Ramallah, and in Hebron and 2 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nearby; patrols in 2 villages each nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah, and 1 village each nr. Hebron and Ramallah. (HA, JP, MNA, YA 6/28; PCHR 7/3)

As Operation Pillar of Defense continues, the IDF carries out air strikes on 133 targets across Gaza, killing 31 Palestinians, including several children, bringing the Palestinian death toll to 146. The IDF says that those killed include 18 Islamic Jihad and Hamas fighters. IDF air strikes kill 3 Palestinian journalists, attacks condemned by Reporters Without Borders. Palestinian armed groups fire 140 rockets into Israel, killing 1 IDF soldier and 1 Israeli Defense Ministry contractor, bringing the Israeli death toll to 5. In addition, 2 Israelis are wounded by a rocket strike on a building in s. Israel. The Iron Dome intercepts 51 rockets. Meanwhile, Hamas’s Izzedin al-Qassam Brigades (IQB) claim responsibility for the killing of 6 alleged Palestinian collaborators with Israel in the streets of Gaza City. (AP, HA, MNA, REU 11/20)

U.S. secy. of state Hillary Clinton meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu in Jerusalem to urge Israel to deescalate the situation in Gaza. At the press conference afterward, she says that the U.S. is pleased with the success of the Iron Dome defense system. In Cairo, Hamas chief Mishal and Islamic Jihad chief Shalah meet with Egyptian intelligence chief Raafat Shehata in an effort to finalize details of a cease-fire agreement with Israel. Egyptian sources hope that a deal will be signed in Cairo on 11/21 and will include not only an immediate cease-fire, but more long-term negotiation of an easing of Israel’s Gaza blockade. The UN Security Council (UNSC) convenes to discuss the situation in Gaza and Israel but does not come to any conclusions. Arab League secy.-gen. Nabil Elaraby visits Rafah with some 10 Arab foreign ministers to show solidarity with the Palestinians. (AP, Guardian, HA 11/20)

In the West Bank, Palestinians clash with IDF forces at the funerals in Hebron and al-Nabi Salih for the 2 Palestinians killed (see 11/19) in demonstrations against Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense. The IDF also conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon, and in Jenin, Tulkarm and 2 nearby villages, Hebron and 2 nearby villages, Bethlehem, 1 nearby village, and Dahayshah r.c. and Aida r.c. (both in Bethlehem) at night. (MNA 11/20; PCHR 11/22)

Jordanian protesters hold rallies across the country and issue a call for a ‘‘popular uprising’’ against the government in light of rising fuel prices and unpopular economic policies. This is the 7th consecutive day of demonstrations. (HA 11/20)

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney announces plans for a 2-day visit to Israel before he formally accepts the Republican nomination. He plans to meet with Israeli PM Netanyahu, PA PM Salam Fayyad, U.S. amb. to Israel Daniel Shapiro, and leaders of Israel’s Labor party. He has visited Israel 3 times previously, most recently in 1/2011. (NYT, WP 7/3)

An Israeli drone makes a predawn air strike on a Palestinian rocket-firing team nr. Dayr al-Balah, missing them and causing no injuries, but damaging 2 homes. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Qalqilya during the day; raids and searches a Palestinian home nr. Jenin in the afternoon; and conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm, and nr. Bethlehem and Qalqilya. (PCHR 7/5; OCHA 7/13)

Hamas authorities suspend the CEC’s work a day before voter registration is scheduled to open across Gaza, accusing Fatah authorities of having intimidated Hamas supporters in the West Bank to keep them from registering there. Fatah spokesman Fayiz Abu Aita calls the Hamas action a ‘‘suspension of the reconciliation process.’’ (NYT 7/3)

In Israel, public debate intensifies regarding a 2/2012 High Court decision to order the 2002 Tal Law, exempting ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students from military service, to expire on 7/31 and to move toward a universal draft. Fearing a coalition split over the issue, Israeli PM Netanyahu disbands a committee he had charged with forming the new policy on national military service. Instead, he orders the leaders of the parties in his coalition to draft the policy proposal, stating that if no agreement can be reached by 7/31, he will instruct the IDF to ‘‘draft according to its needs’’ but take ‘‘into consideration the various publics so as to prevent a rift in the nation.’’ Kadima head Mofaz, who joined the coalition based on a pledge by Netanyahu to move toward a universal draft, calls the move a ‘‘crass’’ violation of their coalition agreement. (NYT 7/3; WT 7/4; WP 7/5)

Palestinians fire at least 7 mortars, 6 homemade Qassam rockets, and 2 manufactured Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel during the day, causing no injuries. Israel retaliates with several air strikes and tank fire on Hamas buildings and a launching site, lightly injuring 3 Palestinians. The largest strike (4 missiles) targets the fmr. PA General Intelligence building outside of Jabaliya in the evening, heavily damaging the building and collaterally damaging 30 homes, 4 businesses, and 2 schools. Sources say that Hamas seems to have stepped back fr. rocket and mortar fire since its large barrage on 3/19, with most fire now coming fr. Islamic Jihad and other groups. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 3 wells nr. Bethlehem (all more than 100 yrs. old); bulldozes a Palestinian road nr. Salfit for the 2d time in 3 mos. (Jewish settlers seek to annex the waterrich area to the Yakir and Revava settlements; Palestinian residents paved the road to claim ownership and repaved it after the IDF bulldozed the 1st time); patrols in 4 village nr. Qalqilya, 4 nr. Ramallah, and 2 each nr. Jenin (where troops fire tear gas at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no injuries) and Jericho, as well as searching 2 open areas nr. Tulkarm. (HA, IsRN, JP, JTA 3/24; NYT, WP, WT 3/25; PCHR 3/31; OCHA 4/1)

By this date, allied air strikes on Libya have reportedly “all but destroyed” the Libyan air force and air defenses and the focus has shifted to targeting Qaddafi’s ground forces. At this stage, NATO takes the lead fr. the U.S. in enforcing the no-fly zone. The intervention is not enough to give Libyan rebels the upper hand, however; fierce fighting continues nationwide through the end of the quarter. (NYT 3/24, 3/25)

In Yemen, Pres. Saleh, responding to growing pressure (see 3/18), reins in the military and states that he would step down if he could arrange “an honorable transfer of power” that would keep the govt. in “safe hands.” Over next 2 wks., Saleh and the opposition hold talks but cannot reach an agreement. Meanwhile, protests continue (mostly nonviolent, ranging in size fr. the 1,000s to around 100,000). (NYT, WP, WT 3/25; NYT, WP 3/26–27; WP 3/28, 3/29; NYT 3/29; NYT, WP 3/31–4/1;NYT 4/3)

Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, damaging a house in Sederot but causing no injuries. Late in the evening, IDF warplanes make at least 7 air strikes on Gaza, hitting at least 4 smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border (3 Palestinians working in tunnels are reported missing); a workshop in al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City, destroying it and heavily damaging a nearby marble factory, causing no casualties; a Hamas outpost nr. the border fence with Israel, causing no reported injuries; and a group of armed Palestinians in al-Zaytun neighborhood in Gaza City, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem. (OCHA, WT 5/20; PCHR, WT 5/21)

Palestinian Authority (PA) pres. Mahmud Abbas dissolves PA PM Salam Fayyad’s government and reappoints it, replacing 8 independent technocrats with Fatah members, none of whom are elected members of the Palestinian Council. (MNA 5/19; NYT, WT 5/20; NYT 5/21)

Palestinians fire 10 rockets, 23 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage to 1 building but no injuries; the AMB takes responsibility for the mortar fire. In response, the IDF fires a surface-to-surface missile at a mortar-launching site n. of Bayt Lahiya (killing 1 AMB mbr., wounding 2) and makes an air strike on a rocketlaunching site e. of Gaza City (wounding 1 bystander). In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Sahur and nr. Bethlehem, Jenin; raids, searches a medical center in Hebron. (WT 12/21; Forward, MM 12/22; PCHR 12/24)

As the quarter opens, Israel maintains its strict siege of Gaza, imposed following Hamas’s 6/07 takeover of Gaza and tightened dramatically in 1/08 to allow no exports and only the bare minimum of humanitarian imports. A 6-mo. Gaza cease-fire, in place since 6/19, technically remains in effect, although significant cross-border exchanges resumed on 11/4. Israel has sealed Gaza borders completely since 11/5, allowing in an average of 5 containers/day of humanitarian aid, whereas the UN estimates that 500/day are needed to sustain the basic human needs of the 1.5 m. population. Today, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) makes an air strike on Gaza City targeting a group of Popular Resistance Comm. (PRC) mbrs. preparing to fire a rocket into Israel, killing 4 PRC mbrs. (The IDF reports that in the past 48 hrs., Palestinians have fired 20 rockets and mortars, including 2 Grad-type rockets, into Israel, causing no damage or injuries.) In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and Nablus, and nr. Bethlehem, Jenin. Israel’s High Court orders Jewish settlers to evacuate the illegal outpost of Beit Shalom, in the al-Rajabi building in the Wadi al-Nassara area of Hebron, or face eviction, also declaring the State of Israel the temporary custodian of the building until ownership disputes are resolved; settlers ignored a 10/29 High Court order demanding they vacate the building within 24 hrs. (NYT 11/17; OCHA 11/19; PCHR 11/20; OCHA 11/27)

AsIsrael continues to seal Gaza’s borders completely, aid agencies (including Oxfam and UNRWA) warn of an impending humanitarian crisis. UNRWA Gaza dir. John Ging states that “it is unprecedented that the UN is unable to get its supplies in to a population under such obvious distress.” Unnamed Hamas officials say that Israel apparently is not interested in maintaining the truce and therefore would face consequences. Today, Hamas admits to firing 11 Grad-type rockets fr. Gaza toward Israel (4 of which landed inside Israel, causing no damage or injuries) in addition to 3 regular rockets and several mortars, 1 of which (unclear whether rocket or mortar) hits an Israeli home in Sederot, causing damage and lightly injuring 1 Israeli. The IDF makes air strikes on suspected launch sites in n. Gaza, wounding 2 armed Palestinians. In the West Bank, the IDF fires tear gas, percussion grenades at Palestinians holding a nonviolent protest against settlements at the evacuated settlement site of Homesh nr. Jenin (wounding 1); conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Bil’in (injuring 2); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, international peace activists taking part in a similar nonviolent demonstration in Ni‘lin (injuring 1). (NYT, WP 11/15; WT 11/16; OCHA 11/19; PCHR 11/20)

Overnight, the IDF makes an incursion into Abasan, raiding and searching homes, occupying several as operational bases, making air strikes on local gunmen who confront them (killing 1 Hamas mbr., seriously wounding 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. and 1 Hamas mbr.), demolishing 1 Palestinian home, bulldozing 110 d. of agricultural land and 4 poultry farms, arresting 4 Palestinians before withdrawing late in the evening. The IDF also makes an early-morning incursion into Jabaliya town, fatally shooting a Palestinian civilian riding a bicycle for no apparent reason, exchanging fire with local gunmen (killing 1 armed Palestinian, 1 bystander), hitting 3 Palestinian homes with tank fire (injuring 3 Palestinian civilians). Later, Palestinians fire a Grad-type rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, striking a shopping mall in Ashqelon, wounding 16 Israelis, 3 of them seriously; several groups, excluding Hamas, claim responsibility. Late in the evening, the IDF makes an air strike on Gaza City, killing 2 Palestinian resistance mbrs. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem and Nablus, and in Qalqilya. (NYT, PCHR, WP 5/15; PCHR 5/22)

The IDF shells a rocket-launching site in Gaza City and makes an air strike on a 2d rocket-launching site nr. Bayt Lahiya, killing 3 Islamic Jihad mbrs., wounding at least 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. and 2 civilians; bulldozes land along the border fence e. of al-Maghazi r.c. Palestinians fire 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, nr. Qalqilya. Overnight, in Jerusalem, Israeli authorities hand the body of the 3/6 Mercaz Harav attacker over to his family in Jabal Mukabir for a predawn burial, hoping to prevent clashes surrounding his burial. When news breaks, however, 10s of right-wing Jewish settlers storm Jabal Mukabir, evading police barricades, clashing with riot police, throwing stones at Palestinian homes on the rim of the neighborhood. Nearby, 100s of right-wing Jewish settlers hold a protest rally demanding the expulsion of Palestinian citizens of Israel, scuffle with police. In total, 20 protesters are arrested; 1 protester, 1 policeman are injured. (WT 3/16; OCHA, PCHR 3/19)

The IDF pulls most troops out of Bayt Hanun before dawn; bulldozers and tanks remain positioned nr. Bayt Lahiya. Clashes continue in Jabaliya during the day, leaving at least 8 Palestinians dead, including an AMB mbr. assassinated in an air strike on his car in n. Gaza (3 AMB mbrs. are wounded), 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. nr. Bayt Lahiya, the sister-in-law of Change and Reform PC mbr. Jamila al-Shanti (who helped organize the 11/3 women’s demonstration in Bayt Hanun), 2 Palestinians affiliated with Hamas are killed in Jabaliya r.c. when the IDF fires tank shells at Palestinians who allegedly fired RPGs fr. Shanti’s home, a Palestinian civilian fatally shot nr. Bayt Lahiya. IDF air strikes destroy the Gaza City home of a senior Hamas military cmdr., damage several neighboring homes after ordering the residents to leave. A Palestinian wounded in Bayt Hanun on 11/6 dies. Palestinians fire 6 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel (4 hitting nr. Ashkelon), causing no damage or injuries; IDF artillery shells Bayt Hanun in response. The IDF says it seized “large amounts of weaponry” during the operation, including rocket launchers, RPGs, mines, rifles, ammunition but no rockets or antitank weapons. The UN estimates that some 250 Palestinians were wounded, 30 Palestinian homes demolished, 100 damaged (residents put the number at around 40 demolished, 400 damaged), water and sewerage systems damaged, large tracks of trees uprooted during the operation. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Qalqilya (in a car with Palestinian license plates to arrest several wanted Palestinians, wounding 1), al-Yamun nr. Jenin (assassinating AMB mbrs. Tahir ‘Abahra, Salim Abu al-Hayja, Mahmud Abu Hasan, ‘Ala’ Khamaysa and killing 1 Palestinian bystander, wounding 3 Palestinians); conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem. (IFM, REU 11/7; NYT, WP, WT 11/8; PCHR, WP 11/9)

The IDF announces that it will begin implementing a new policy of attacking Hamas targets for each Palestinian rocket strike, regardless of what group is responsible for the fire; makes a helicopter air strike on a foundry in Gaza City allegedly used to build rockets, causing no injuries; demolishes a Palestinian home nr. Ramallah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Dura, nr. Jenin and Tulkarm, and in and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, Ramallah. Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. An unidentified Palestinian gunman fires on a Jewish settler bus nr. Ofra settlement n. of Jerusalem, lightly wounding 1 woman. Jewish settlers fr. Beit Hadasah in Hebron vandalizes several Palestinian homes, beat a 60-yr.-old Palestinian. Hamas mbrs. retaliating for the attempted assassination of 1 of their mbrs. on 6/18 fire grenades, rifles at a PSF office in Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. Meanwhile, Fatah, Hamas mbrs. sign a “national honor document” in Ramallah, pledging to avoid clashes and to resolve their disputes through negotiation. (HA, XIN 6/19; MA 6/19, 6/22 in WNC 6/23; WP 6/20; PCHR 6/22)

As the quarter opens, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continue Operation Southern Arrow, with heavy shelling and air strikes on Gaza in response to Palestinian rocket fire (at a rate of 10 Israeli strikes per 1 Palestinian rocket attack) and tight restrictions on Gaza’s crossings (see Quarterly Update for details). The IDF also continues to separate the n. and s. West Bank by closing (since 4/21) the Zatara checkpoint s. of Nablus and to restrict movement into and out of the n. Jordan Valley. Meanwhile, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza continue to suffer severe economic shortages due to the U.S.- and Israeli-led economic sanctions on the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority (PA) that have prevented the PA from paying government workers’ salaries for 2 mos. Today, the IDF patrols in ‘Araba nr. Jenin, firing on residential areas; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Nablus. Islamic Jihad fires its 2d Grad rocket fr. Gaza toward Ashqelon, damaging a poultry farm but causing no injuries (see 3/28, 4/21). A Hamas mbr. is killed in a driveby shooting in Gaza City; no group claims responsibility. (MM 5/16; NYT, PCHR 5/18)