The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with military escort blocked a road leading to Sinjil. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian with a rubber-coated bullet to his chest during a raid in Kafr Qaddum. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters near al-Mughayyir and Sahal al-Baqai’a, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces blocked all traffic in and out of Hizma. 4 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Qalqilya, Aqabah, Tuqu‘, and Dayr Jarir. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided PA governor of Jerusalem Adnan Ghaith’s home. Israeli forces also raided the home of deputy director-general of the Islamic Waqf, Sheikh Najeh Bakirat, in Jabel Mukaber, handing him a summon for interrogation. 6 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Silwan and at the Haram al-Sharif compound. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 2 nautical miles west of al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. In Israel, 1 Palestinian woman was killed and 2 others injured in a car bombing in Ramle; Israeli authorities suspected an assassination. The killing marked the 123d Palestinian killed in Israel in 2021. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/26; MEMO 12/27; PCHR 12/30)

The 1st case of the highly infectious Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus was detected in Gaza. The Omicron variant has become dominant in many countries and is capable at infecting vaccinated people, especially those who have not received a booster shot. In Gaza, about 25,000 out of 2 million people have received a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. (HA, MEMO, REU 12/26)

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said that Israel is denying 1 Palestinian prisoner access to the cancer treatment he needs. The Palestinian man has been detained since 10/25. (WAFA 12/26)

Qatar’s envoy to Palestine Mohammad al-Emadi said in a statement that Qatar, the PA, and Gaza’s electrical company have agreed to a project that will see Qatar invest $60 million in a gas pipeline from Israel to Gaza. The project will change the fuel input at Gaza’s power plant from diesel fuel to natural gas. (MEMO, TOI 12/27)

PA civil affairs minister Hussein al-Sheikh called on the international community to take action against Israeli settler violence. (WAFA 12/26)

The Israeli government approved a plan to double the settler population in the occupied Golan Heights. The $317-million plan will see Israel construct settler housing units and new infrastructure, including 3,300 new settlement units in Katzrin, 4,065 in Golan Regional Council, and 4,000 in 2 new settlements. Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said the government investment in settlements in the Golan Heights was linked to the U.S. Trump administration decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the area in 2019 and the current Biden administration’s indication that it will not roll back the decision. (AJ, AP, DW, HA, MEE, REU, TOI 12/26; AJ, ALM, AP, MEMO, REU, TOI 12/27; CNN, MDW, TOI 12/28)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with military escort attempted to raid a school in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya before they were repelled by Palestinians protecting the students. Israeli forces razed agricultural lands in Birin, uprooting 120 olive and almond trees and demolishing 1 well in Khillat al-Furn. Israeli forces also raided Birzeit University, injuring 1 student with a rubber-coated bullet who was protesting the raid. 17 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Deir Abu Mash‘al, Deir Nidham, Kafr Ni‘ma, Bethlehem, al-Walaja, Sa‘ir, al-Shuyukh, Tarqumiyah, Tulkarm, Far‘un, and Kafr al-Labad; Israel also said that it had arrested 11 students of An-Najah University in Nablus, saying they were connected to a Hamas student network. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished the foundations to a house in al-Tur and demolished 1 house near the Old City. 2 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Wadi al-Juz and Isawiya; Israeli forces confiscated 11,500 NIS ($7,300) during a raid in Sur Baher. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 6 nautical miles north of Rafah; no injuries were reported. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/14; PCHR 12/16)

Israeli Channel 13 reported that a group called Returning to the Mount are praying at the Haram al-Sharif compound by disguising themselves as Muslims while following Islamic practices of prayer, but reciting Jewish prayers. Channel 13 reported that members of the group meet to learn how to appear like Muslim worshippers. (MEMO, TOI 12/14)

The Palestinian prisoners’ club said Israeli prison guards assaulted at least 3 female prisoners in Damon prison when they refused to leave their cell. The 3 prisoners were also transferred to solitary confinement. (MEMO, WAFA 12/19; MEE, MEMO 12/20)

PA and U.S. officials held a virtual meeting discussing economic ties. The meeting was headed by PA economic affairs minister Khaled Osaily and acting assistant secretary of state for Near East Affairs Yael Lambert. (MEMO, WAFA 12/15; ALM 12/18)

Israel’s prime minister Naftali Bennett said settler violence is an “insignificant phenomena” in the West Bank, criticizing Israel’s public security minister Omer Bar-Lev, who on 12/13 brought up the issue in a meeting with U.S. state department undersecretary for political affairs Victoria Nuland. Prime Minister Bennett said that the settlers were the victims in the West Bank and needed the support of the Israeli government. Public Security Minister Bar-Lev subsequently reiterated his focus on settler violence during a trip to Hebron, saying that “it is truly difficult for some to look in the mirror” instead of tackling the issue of extremist settlers. (HA 12/14; HA 12/15; ALM 12/17)

Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate what HRW have found to be organized discriminatory behavior of Israeli law enforcement agencies when dealing with “Jewish ultra nationalist” and Palestinian citizens of Israel during the May 2021 civil unrest. HRW found that Israeli law enforcement used excessive force when dispersing Palestinians in Lydda while “failing to act even-handedly as Jewish ultra-nationalists attacked Palestinians.” (HRW, MEMO, WAFA 12/14)

Israel’s interior minister Ayelet Shaked announced that plans to construct the Trump Heights settlement in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights had advanced. The Trump Heights settlement, named after former U.S. president Donald Trump, will cover 70 acres. The announcement stated that construction of homes, public buildings, industrial zones, and roads can begin. (HA 12/14)

The Knesset passed the 1st reading of a bill that would allow Israeli police to conduct house raids in Israel without a court-issued warrant. An explanatory note to the bill clarified that the bill was intended for the Israeli police to use “in its battle against serious crime, and particularly serious crime in Arab society.” (Knesset 12/14; MEMO 12/15)

The officer of the Knesset granted the leader of United Arab List Mansour Abbas a security detail, as he was receiving a growing number of death threats. (MEMO 12/15)

The UAE said it had suspended talks with the U.S. on buying 50 F-35 fighter jets, citing “[t]echnical requirements, sovereign operational restrictions, and cost/benefit analysis.” The announcement follows U.S. concerns about the UAE’s relationship to China, including the UAE using Huawei 5G technology. The Trump administration had agreed to allow the UAE to purchase the F-35 fighter jets as part of the UAE’s and Israel’s normalization agreement. The UAE announced on 12/3, during a visit to the country by French president Emmanuel Macron, that it would buy 80 French-made Rafale fighter jets and 12 military helicopters. (AJ 12/3; AJ, AP, HA, MEMO, REU 12/14; REU, REU 12/15)

18 Democratic members of U.S. Congress wrote a letter to the Treasury and State Departments asking them to put sanctions on 4 foreign surveillance companies, including the Israeli NSO Group, citing the companies’ assistance in human rights abuses. Among the signatories were Senate finance committee chairperson Ron Wyden (D-OR) and House intelligence committee chairperson Adam Schiff (D-CA). (AJ, HA, MEMO, REU 12/15; +972 12/17)

Italy contributed $2.25 million to UNRWA programming in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and $1.13 million to UNRWA programming in Syria. (WAFA 12/14)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles driving on Route 60 near the Yitzhar settlement, causing damage. Israeli settlers also started construction on a pool near a water spring in Khirbet al-Farisiya. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Beita, killing 1 Palestinian man with a shot to his head; 68 others were injured, including 4 with rubber-coated bullets. The PA foreign ministry called in the ICC to take action against Israel’s killing of Palestinian protesters. The man was the 9th victim of Israeli gunfire related to the weekly anti-settlement protest in Beita since May. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 6 with rubber-coated bullets, including 2 minors. 5 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Beitunia and al-Bireh. In East Jerusalem, 2 Palestinians were arrested in Isawiya and Jabel Mukaber. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces arrested 2 Palestinian fishermen and confiscated their boat. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian bird hunters near the Gaza fence; no injuries were reported. (AJ, AP, HA, MEE, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/10; MEMO, PCHR 12/11; WAFA 12/12; HA, MDW 12/13; PCHR 12/16; HA 12/24)

In Lebanon, an explosion killed 1 and injured 4 others in the Burj el-Shamali refugee camp. Sources in the camp said the explosion happened in a Hamas weapons depot; however, Hamas denied the claim, saying the explosion was due to an electrical fault in a warehouse storing oxygen and gas cylinders for COVID-19 patients. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 12/10; AP, MEMO 12/12)

The New York Times reported that Israel consulted with the Biden administration before it struck 2 targets in Iran in June and September this year. (NYT 12/10; HA 12/11)

In promotional material for the upcoming book Trump’s Peace: The Abraham Accords and the Reshaping of the Middle East by Israeli journalist Barak Ravid, it was revealed that former U.S. president and likely candidate for the Republican presidential ticket in 2024, Donald Trump, made significant U.S. policy changes to help former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu win elections in Israel. Former President Trump told Ravid that he recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel and, separately, announced plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem to help Netanyahu, who was struggling in the Israeli elections. Trump also told Ravid that he left the Iran Nuclear deal because of Israel and dismissed the idea that it was due to Israeli intelligence, mocking the idea that Israel had presented anything new at the time. Ravid further reports in his book that Trump believes that Netanyahu never had any interest in making peace with the Palestinians. Trump explained to Ravid that PA president Mahmoud Abbas “was almost like a father” and that he thought Abbas wanted to make peace more than Netanyahu. Trump acknowledged to Ravid that his strategy of pressuring the Palestinian leadership back to negotiations after recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel had failed, saying “[t]hese are hardened people.” Netanyahu and Trump had a significant personal fallout due to Israel’s push to annex most of the West Bank, outside of the framework of the Trump administration’s plan for a peace deal. It was also revealed that Trump now holds a grudge against Netanyahu because Netanyahu congratulated U.S. president Joe Biden on his election win in 2020, which Trump has falsely claimed to be fraudulent and has never officially conceded. Trump said he had not talked to Netanyahu since losing the election and said to Ravid during the interview, “fuck him [Netanyahu].” (AP, AX, AX, HA 12/10; FWD, HA, HA 12/12; AX, HA, IN, MEE, MEMO 12/13; TOI 12/14; GDN 12/20)

In Ravid’s book Trump’s Peace, new details about the normalization agreement between Israel and the UAE are also revealed. According to Ravid, Avi Berkowitz, aide to senior advisor to the president Jared Kushner, suggested to Netanyahu on 6/30/2020 that he normalize relations with the UAE instead of moving ahead with annexation of parts of the West Bank. The UAE ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Otaiba had been in talks with the U.S. about normalization since March 2019 and had been pushing normalization with Israel. Ravid also writes in his book that UK ambassador to the UN Karen Elizabeth Pierce warned Berkowitz and U.S. special envoy to Iran Brian Hook that the UK and other countries would recognize the State of Palestine if Israel moved forward with annexing parts of the West Bank. (FWD 12/12; AX, HA 12/13; MEMO 1/4)

Germany contributed with $23.75 million to the UNRWA. (WAFA 12/10)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near the Beit El settlement, causing damage. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinians employed by the Land Settlement Authority with stones and clubs in al-Shuyukh, injuring 1 with injuries to his head. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers clashed with Israeli forces as the latter evacuated the Geulat Zion settlement outpost near the Shiloh settlement. Israeli forces fired tear gas at Palestinian pupils heading to a school in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya for the 2d day in a row, injuring dozens with tear gas. Israeli forces also seized 2 residential structures and 5 agricultural structures in az-Za‘ayyem. 11 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Bil‘in, Jaba‘, Tulkarm, Sanniriya, Nablus, al-Ibayyat, and Deir Sammit. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian minor after he allegedly stabbed and wounded 2 Israeli soldiers in the Old City. Israeli forces also delivered demolition notices for 2 agricultural structures in Isawiya. 3 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Isawiya and Silwan. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen 2-5 nautical miles west of al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. (AP, HA, JP, MEMO, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/17; PCHR 11/18)

1 39-year-old Palestinian prisoner died in an Israeli hospital of issues related to a heart condition. Palestinian Prisoners Center for Studies said he died due to medical neglect by Israel. (AJ, JP, MEMO, PCHR, WAFA 11/18)

B’Tselem released footage that 1 of its activists had recorded in September, showing Israeli soldiers in Hebron rounding up 13 Palestinian children in the middle of the night and taking photos of them, asking them to say “cheese” for the camera. Many of the very young children are seen crying in the video. (HA, MEMO 11/17; AP, TOI 11/18)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Greenfield-Thomas. Ambassador Greenfield-Thomas urged the PA to end its payments to Palestinian prisoners and their families and to respect human rights issues. (HA, TOI 11/17; TOI, WAFA 11/18)

In Syria, Israeli forces fired 2 missiles from Israeli-occupied Golan Heights at Damascus, hitting 1 empty building. 1 of the missiles was intercepted by Syrian air defense. (AJ, AP, HA 11/17)

EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell told the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee that Israel has not provided the EU with any evidence proving their accusations that 6 Palestinian rights organizations are terrorist entities. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh was also present at the meeting and criticized the new Israeli government’s approach to Palestinians and stance against a 2-state solution. He also said Israel had to stop dealing with Palestinians in Gaza differently than it does West Bank Palestinians. (WAFA, WAFA 11/16; HA, WAFA, WAFA 11/17)

Qatar and Egypt signed a deal to supply fuel and building supplies to Gaza during the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting. The deal will see Qatar pay Egypt for oil and gasoline which will be given to Hamas and distributed at gas stations in Gaza and some funds will be directed at vulnerable families in Gaza and to help pay civil servants. The deal was reported to include a monthly transfer from Qatar to Egypt for distribution in Gaza of $30 million. (AJ, REU 11/17; MEMO 11/18; ALM 11/23; HA 11/27; HA 11/29; MEMO 11/30)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked and injured 1 Israeli soldier and damaged 3 vehicles in the Yitzhar settlement as Israeli forces tried to remove 1 settler-erected tent. Israeli settlers also installed water pipes on Palestinian-owned land in Ein al-Sakout. 14 Palestinians were arrested, including 13 during late-night raids in Beita, al-Khader, Umm Salamuna, and Yatta; 1 was arrested at a checkpoint near Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians at the Damascus Gate plaza using stun grenades and skunk water; 2 Palestinians were arrested. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian lands east of al-Qarara; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces also opened fire at municipal workers at a landfill near Juhor ad-Dik; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Gaza; no injuries were reported. (JP, WAFA, WAFA 10/11; HA, TOI 10/12; PCHR 10/14)

Founder of Rawabi City Bashar Masri announced that he will begin building 400 housing units on land belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church in East Jerusalem near Bayt Hanina. Masri said it had taken him more than 10 years to get the building permits from the Israeli municipality. (WAFA 10/11)

Israel issued permits for 442 undocumented Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza, making them official residents. Israel controls the Palestinian population registry so people without Israeli permits cannot receive a valid PA-issued identity card. More than 10,000 Palestinians are estimated to be living in the West Bank without being registered by Israel. Israel is said to register over 5,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza as part of an agreement made between Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz and PA president Mahmoud Abbas. (HA, TOI 10/11)

The Israeli high court of justice criticized the Israeli military for not protecting Palestinian farmers by enforcing a ban on Israeli settlers in the former Homesh settlement area. Because of the lack of enforcement, Palestinian farmers are frequently attacked by Israeli settlers in the area and Israeli settlers have erected a settlement outpost and a Yeshiva on the land. (HA 10/12)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Pope Francis on the phone. (WAFA 10/11)

Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said that Israel will never renounce its claim to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, even if Syria or its president Bashir al-Assad gains favor with the world. Prime Minister Bennett also said that his government seeks to increase the Israeli settler population in the area from 27,000 to 100,000. (MEE, MEMO, REU, TOI 10/11; ALM 10/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked a group of Palestinian children near Silat ad-Dhahr, catching, abducting, and torturing 1 for 1 hour and 30 minutes at the Hermesh settlement outpost before Israeli soldiers picked him up after being notified by Palestinians. Israeli forces demolished 1 house under construction in Yatma. 7 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 during late-night raids in al-Bireh, Hebron, and Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, 1 at a checkpoint near Ya‘bad, and 1 at a checkpoint while seeking an entry permit to East Jerusalem for treatment of cancer. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided and shut down a ceremony for Palestinians who passed their high school exams in Isawiya, claiming it was sponsored by the PA. Israeli forces also demolished 1 nursery school and 1 house in Bayt Safafa. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled farmland east of Maghazi and al-Bureij refugee camp. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Jabalia; no injuries were reported. (AA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/17; AA 8/18; PCHR 8/19; HA 8/26; JP 8/31; AP 9/10)

PA firefighters joined Israeli firefighters to combat wildfires raging west and southwest of Jerusalem. Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz thanked Mahmoud Abbas for “his initiative” in a tweet. The PA sent 20 Palestinian firefighters and 4 fire engines to help combat the fires. President Abbas later received a phone call from Israeli public security minister Omer Bar Lev thanking Abbas for sending the firefighters. (HA, MEMO, WAFA 8/18)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas, PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh, and foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki met with the Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Ramallah. In a statement, the PA said Foreign Minister al-Maliki called on Japan to recognize the State of Palestine. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/17)

Issam Daalis, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said that militant factions in Gaza will start violently resisting Israeli restrictions put on Gaza during May if those restrictions are not lifted by 8/21. The ultimatum was made after a meeting of senior Hamas members. Daalis also said that Egypt had asked Hamas to give Israel time and the Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett had said some restrictions would be gradually lifted. (MEMO 8/18)

Israeli Palestinian lawmaker Ahmad Tibi from the Joint List filed a complaint against an Israeli soldier who prevented him and 3 other lawmakers from reaching al-Ibrahimi Mosque on 8/14 during a protest against Israeli renovations to the structure. Tibi further asserted that the soldier assaulted him during the incident. (HA 8/18)

In Syria, Israeli forces fired missiles at areas within Quneitra province from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The extent of the damage or if there were any casualties was unclear. (AP, HA 8/17)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted olive trees in Jaba‘. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters near the Evyatar settlement outpost near Beita, killing 1 Palestinian and injuring 21 others with live ammunition and rubber-coated bullets; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. The killing of the Palestinian man, who was said to have been drinking water when he was shot in the chest, was the 40th by Israeli forces in the West Bank since May. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 4 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. 1 Palestinian was arrested at a flying checkpoint near Beit Fajjar. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family started demolishing their own homes in Bayt Hanina, displacing 46 people. In Gaza, incendiary balloons sent from Gaza caused fires in Israel, and Israel struck targets in Jabalia refugee camp, causing damage. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen west of Jabalia refugee camp on 2 separate occasions; no injuries were reported. In the Golan Heights, 19 rockets were fired at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Lebanon, with 3 falling within Lebanon and the rest in the Golan Heights; no damage was reported. Israel subsequently fired at Lebanon; no damage was reported. Hezbollah took responsibility for the rockets fired from Lebanon and the Lebanese army said it had arrested 4 suspects. Israel said that it does not believe that Hezbollah is seeking an escalation. (AA, AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/6; AA, AJ, AJ, HA, MEMO, MEMO, REU, WAFA, WAFA 8/7; HA 8/8; HA, HA, PCHR 8/12; AJ 8/15)

Hamas accepted an Israel and U.S. demand to allow the 2 countries to examine a list of families in Gaza that would receive a monthly stipend from Qatar, allegedly in order to ensure that the people on the list are not Hamas activists. Sources told Haaretz that Hamas was pressured to accept the demand by Palestinian banks, which would be exposed to sanctions if the stipends reached members of Hamas or other militants. (HA 8/6)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh met with the new Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran. (HA 8/6; AA 8/7)

Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett announced that Michael Herzog, the brother of Israeli president Isaac Herzog, will be Israel’s new ambassador to the U.S. (AA, ALM, HA, MEMO 8/6; HA 8/7; HA 8/8; ALM 8/9; ALM 8/10)