The Palestine Chronology

An anonymous, senior Israeli official says that U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry presented Palestinian pres. Mahmud Abbas with a proposal for the renewal of direct negotiations during meetings in the past few days. The official did not elaborate on the proposal’s contents. With Kerry now in Brunei, Middle East adviser Frank Lowenstein and State Dept. legal expert Jonathan Schwartz meet with Israel’s National Security Adviser Ya’akov Amidror and Special Envoy Yitzhak Molcho to continue discussions on how to break the deadlock. (HA, JP 7/1; JP 7/2)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 2 villages and al-Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, and 1 village each nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jerusalem at night. (PCHR 7/4)

Jerusalem Municipal officials meet with members of the Knesset Finance Cmte. and approve funding for infrastructure construction on housing tenders for 930 homes in Har Homa settlement. The work is part of a project approved in 8/2011 for around 1,000 housing units to further the development of Har Homa. Meanwhile, Israeli DM Moshe Ya’alon announces that extremist Jewish settlers carrying out so-called price-tag attacks against Palestinians will be designated a “forbidden organization,” enabling security forces to use broader powers in investigating such incidents. The statement comes 2 weeks after the cabinet approved the step. (HA 7/1)

The Egyptian military issues a 48-hour ultimatum to Pres. Mohamed Morsi to meet the demands of protesters or face the army’s intervention, as hundreds of thousands of supporters and opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated govt. again take to the streets. (AP, REU 7/1)

U.S. Middle East peace talks coordinator Dennis Ross arrives in Tunis for 2 mtgs. with PLO Chmn. Arafat. Ross joins Norwegian Dep. FM Terje Rod Larsen and Israeli delegation seeking Israel-PLO agreement on security for Palestinians in o.t. Palestinian officialsay they are "refining" Norwegian proposal on security force. U.S. role in talks is described as marginal. (MM 3/21; NYT 3/22)

IDF Brig. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, West Bank cmdr. 1992-93, tells commission of inquiry into Hebron massacre of "absolute prohibition" on using live ammunition against settlers. Israeli press reports that PM Rabin told Israeli cabinet 3/20 that commission's hearings were causing "incalculable" damage to Israel's reputation. (NYT 3/22)

Settler bus ambushed nr. Ateret, 14 mi. north of Jerusalem, in apparent revenge attack for Hebron massacre. 1 Israeli killed and at least 1 wounded. (NYT 3/22)

Hizballah ambush kills 2 IDF soldiers, roadside bombs kill 2 SLA mbrs. Israeli shelling kills 12-yr.-old schoolgirl in Nabatiya, wounds 22 others. (MM 3/21)

Al-Safir reports arrests of 5 suspects in 2/27 church bombing in Zuq Mika'il, Lebanon. Suspects, including 1 monk, are reportedly affiliated with Lebanese Forces (LF) and "Guardians of the Cedar" factions, had sought refuge in Israeli-controlled "security zone." (MM 3/21)