The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolished 10 structures in a Bedouin community north of Jericho. 10 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Ramallah, Birzeit, Jalazun refugee camp, al-Khadir, Bayt Fajjar, and al-‘Arub refugee camp; during the raid in al-Khadir, 2 minors who were arrested were injured by rubber-coated bullets. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family started demolishing their own house in Jabal Mukabir, displacing 5. 7 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in the Old City and Shu‘fat. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/7; PCHR 6/10)

A settler leader moved his office to the Evyatar settlement outpost near Beita after Israel told the settlers they would have to leave the outpost within 8 days. 42 Israeli settler families have moved to the outpost since 5/3. 1 member of the Knesset from Shas, Moshe Arbel, also brought construction materials to the settlement outpost. (HA, HA 6/7)

Israel’s attorney general Avichai Mendelblit said he would not intervene in the eviction case against Palestinian families in Shaykh Jarrah. PeaceNow called Attorney General Mendelblit’s decision “a cynical attempt to evade responsibility,” and said the evictions are based on “laws that [discriminate] between Israelis and Palestinians.” (AJ, HA 6/7)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met with the emir of Qatar Shaykh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in Doha. (WAFA 6/7)

The Knesset passed a bill that would allow the Shin Bet to place citizens of Israel in West Bank prisons, in the 1st of 3 votes. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel criticized the bill for being unconstitutional and for the Knesset to pass legislation about the West Bank. Joint List lawmakers warned that the bill only would apply to Palestinian citizens of Israel. (HA 6/10)

Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. and UN, Gilad Erdan, visited the Associated Press headquarters in New York, meeting with AP’s president and CEO Gary Pruitt “to restore the relations between Israel and the Associated Press” in the wake of Israel’s air strike demolishing AP’s offices in Gaza on 5/15. Ambassador Erdan justified the air strike that demolished the high-rise by alleging that Hamas was using an office in the 14-story building to jam the Iron Dome missile defense system. AP said it had not been shown any evidence to back Israel’s claim. Hamas denied the Israeli claim, saying, “Israel is trying to whitewash its black image.” (ALM, AP, HA, REU 6/8; MEMO 6/10)

Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) asked secretary of state Antony Blinken, during a house foreign affairs committee hearing, where victims of Israeli crimes should seek justice, if the U.S. opposes investigations by the ICC. Secretary Blinken said in his response that Israel does provide the mechanism of accountability without further elaborating. (AJ, AP, HA 6/10)

In the Gaza Strip, the IDF continues its assault with attacks on 41 targets, killing 11 Palestinians and injuring dozens. Israeli fighter jets and drones strike targets in n. Gaza, as well as nr. Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Rafah, while IDF troops fire smoke bombs and live ammunition across the Israel-Gaza border in 1 location and Israeli artillery shelling hits 2 others. The armed Palestinian groups fire over 100 projectiles into Israel; of which, 3 land in urban areas, 73 land in open areas, and 17 are intercepted by Iron Dome batteries. Meanwhile, Hamas executes 4 alleged collaborators with Israel in the courtyard of a mosque in Jabaliya r.c. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts patrols in Hebron and 2 nearby villages, as well as 1 village nr. Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces clash with a group of Palestinian youth outside a checkpoint nr. Shu‘fat, and 1 Palestinian is wounded when the soldiers open fire with tear gas and rubbercoated metal bullets. (AFP, AP, HA, MNA 8/23; PCHR 8/28)

Following talks between Hamas leader Mishal and PA Pres. Abbas in Doha on 8/21 and 8/22, Hamas publicly agrees to support Abbas’s application to join the ICC. According to PLO chief negotiator Erakat, only Islamic Jihad has not yet approved the document Abbas is asking all Palestinian factions to sign before he moves forward. (AFP, AP, MNA 8/23)

On the diplomatic front, Abbas travels to Cairo for talks with Egyptian pres. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. After their meeting, Abbas says “my main goal is for the truce talks to resume in Egypt as soon as possible.” In an interview on Egyptian television, Abbas says that he is planning a major diplomatic initiative and that he will present the plan to U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry, who is scheduled to visit the region in the coming days. The plan reportedly includes asking the UN to set a timetable for the Israeli occupation and signing the Rome Statue on behalf of the PA, which would give the ICC jurisdiction over cases relating to the occupation. For its part, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry releases a statement after the Abbas/al-Sisi meeting inviting the Israelis and Palestinians to return to Cairo for further cease-fire negotiations. (AJ, HA, WSJ 8/23)

Israeli PM Netanyahu holds talks with UN Secy.-Gen. Ban Ki-moon. Netanyahu compares Hamas to ISIS, in reference to the group’s 8/22 execution of collaborators, and blames the group for the latest escalation in violence. (AJ, HA, REU 8/23)

In the evening, 2 rockets are fired from Lebanon into n. Israel. No group claims responsibility for the attack, though Lebanese military officials suspect a small, local Palestinian group. Late at night, 5 rockets are fired from Syria into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israeli military officials say that a Palestinian group, not Syrian govt. forces, is responsible. Between the 2 sets of rocket attacks, 8 Israelis are lightly injured. (DS, JP, REU 8/23; AFP, HA, YA 8/24)

In the Gaza Strip, the IDF continues its assault, launching air strikes on approximately 47 targets, killing 38 Palestinians and injuring dozens. Among the 38 are 3 high-ranking commanders in al-Qassam Brigades, who are killed overnight by Israeli fighter jets in Rafah. Five Palestinian civilians are also killed in the strike and at least 40 are injured. The armed Palestinian groups fire 109 rockets and mortars into Israel, with 7 landing in built-up areas and 13 intercepted by Iron Dome batteries. One Israeli man is injured with mortar shrapnel nr. Eshkol. Meanwhile, Hamas executes 3 alleged collaborators with Israel, and arrests 7 others. In the West Bank, IDF troops level land nr. Salfit to clear space for an Israeli settlement to expand. Also, the IDF conducts house searches and raids in 4 villages nr. Hebron, Dayr Istya, ‘Askar r.c., al-Bireh, and Bayt Liqya, arresting 9 and issuing summons to 2. Clashes break out with Palestinians in Bayt Liqya, and the Israeli soldiers open fire with live ammunition, tear gas canisters, and sound bombs. Separately, the IDF conducts 4 separate incursions into Hebron and 3 villages n. of Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces and municipal officials enter Silwan to hand demolition notices to the owners of 2 apartment buildings where 19 Palestinians live. (MNA 8/21; HA 8/22; PCHR 8/28)

There is no major diplomatic progress as disagreements that led to the breakdown of talks on 8/19 remain between the Palestinian factions and the Israeli negotiators. Mishal says in an interview with Turkish Anadolu News Agency that Hamas will keep fighting until Israel meets its terms for a permanent truce, while Israel’s Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai says that Israel will not hold cease-fire negotiations as long as rocket fire from Gaza continues. PA Pres. Abbas travels again to Doha where he will meet with Qatari emir Bin Hamad al-Thani and Hamas leader Mishal to discuss the continued Israeli assault and possible future cease-fire negotiations. Also present are head of the Palestinian delegation in Cairo Azzam al-Ahmad, PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erakat, and PA intelligence chief Majid Faraj. (AA, HA 8/21; MEMO, MNA 8/22)

The IDF strikes targets across the Gaza Strip on the 2d day of OPE, killing 39 Palestinians. Fatal strikes take place in al-Maghazi r.c., Bayt Hanun, Gaza City, Nussayrat r.c. and Bayt Lahiya. Among the dead is an Islamic Jihad commander, killed in a strike on his home in Bayt Hanun along with 5 civilians. Palestinians fire 82 rockets and mortar shells into Israel, with 48 rockets striking Israel and 21 intercepted by Iron Dome batteries. There are no injuries directly caused by projectile fire, but there is some damage to property. Rockets land in and around Dimona, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem. M-75 rockets are fired at Tel Aviv, as well as Nevatim military airport, 44 mi. away from Gaza City. Al-Qassam Brigades, al-Quds Brigades, and Ali Abu Mustafa Brigades (PFLP) all claim responsibility for rocket and mortar fire. Al-Qassam Brigades fighters attempt an attack via the sea, emerging close to Kibbutz Zikim for the 2d day in a row. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, MNA, YA, WAFA 7/9; PCHR 7/10)

Israeli PM Netanyahu says that “we have decided to further intensify the attacks on Hamas and the terror organizations in Gaza” and that “Hamas will pay a heavy price for the firing of rockets at Israeli civilians.” Hamas leader Khalid Mish‘al, in a press conference in Doha, Qatar, says that calm can be achieved through “an immediate halt to the aggression and bombings.” He also reiterates that he does not know who carried out the killing of the 3 Israeli settler teenagers in the West Bank. Meanwhile, PA Pres. Abbas accuses Israel of a “genocide” in Gaza and “a war against the Palestinian people as a whole.” He also describes diplomatic efforts at avoiding further hostilities, saying that Palestinian officials are talking to Egypt’s Pres. al-Sisi and UN Secy.-Gen. Ban. Egyptian foreign ministry spokesperson Badr Abdelatty says that “there is no mediation, in the common sense of the word,” but that Cairo is making “diplomatic efforts” aimed “at immediately stopping Israeli aggression and ending all mutual violence.” (AFP, AP, HA, JP, MNA, YA, WAFA 7/9)