The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and critically wounded 1 Palestinian man at the Gush Etzion junction near Bethlehem, claiming that the man had tried to stab an Israeli soldier with a screwdriver; a video showed how Israeli soldiers prevented a medic from treating the Palestinian man. Israeli forces also demolished 1 parking lot near the separation barrier west of Deir al-Ghusun. 10 Palestinians were arrested during house raids, including 3 close relatives of 1 of the Palestinian prisoners who escaped the Gilboa prison on 9/6 in and around Abu Njeim, Aida refugee camp, Dheisheh refugee camp, al-Yamun, Kafr Dan, Qalqilya, Ni‘lin, and Jericho. In East Jerusalem, 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in al-Tur and Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled land near Beit Lahiya. In West Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and severely injured 1 Palestinian man from the West Bank after he stabbed 2 Jewish people near the Jerusalem central bus station; both stabbing victims were said to be in stable condition. (HA, HA, MEE, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/13; PCHR 9/16)

The Palestinian prisoner leadership said that 1,380 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails would go on hunger strike on 9/17 to protest the collective punitive measures introduced by Israel after 6 Palestinians escaped Gilboa prison on 9/6 (see 9/8). (HA, WAFA, WAFA 9/13; AJ, JP, PCHR 9/14)

After rumors that tips from Palestinians in Israel had led to the capture of 4 of the 6 Palestinians who escaped from Gilboa prison on 9/6, PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh called for national unity. Prime Minister Shtayyeh said that “[t]he occupation authorities are trying to divide us from our brothers, and we need to strengthen the connection.” Shtayyeh also called on the UN to ensure that the prisoners are not tortured as rumors were circulating that at least 1 of the prisoners had been subjected to severe torture, leading to hospitalization. (HA 9/13)

The PA instructed the Central Elections Committee to prepare for local council elections on 12/11. Political fractions in Gaza later rejected the elections after a meeting on the subject, saying that national election must precede local elections. (WAFA 9/14; MEMO 9/17; MEMO 9/21)

Israel’s prime minister Naftali Bennett and Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met in Sharm al-Shaykh. The 2 discussed a long-term Hamas-Israel ceasefire, Iran, Turkey, and Egypt’s crisis with Ethiopia. (AJ, HA, MEMO, REU 9/13; AJ, AP, AX, MEMO, MEMO 9/14 HA 9/15)

The New York Times detailed that a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency suggests that Iran is within 1 month of having enough material to build 1 nuclear warhead. It was also reported that manufacturing the warhead would take much longer. The reporting suggested that Iran was enriching the nuclear material to weapons grade to pressure the U.S. in the renewed Iran deal negotiations. (NYT 9/13; HA 9/14)

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)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces opened fire at 1 Palestinian vehicle at a checkpoint near Jenin, puncturing its tires; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces also delivered demolition notices for 8 Palestinian-owned homes in Duma. 11 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Abu Dis, Kaubar, Dheisheh refugee camp, Jenin, Hebron, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Issawiyya and al-Tur. In Gaza, 2 rockets fired from the strip landed in the Mediterranean Sea, after which Israeli aircraft fired 1 missile at al-Qarara and 3 missiles at al-Shuka, damaging agricultural lands; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces also made incursions and levelled land near Khan Yunis. (AJ, AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/18; HA, WAFA 1/19; PCHR 1/21)

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Jordanian King Abdullah II in Amman to discuss the Palestinian elections scheduled for May and July. According to Haaretz, the 2 countries have been asked by Palestinian leaders to help facilitate the parliamentary and presidential elections. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh also said that the PA has asked Israel to allow Palestinians in East Jerusalem to participate in the elections. (HA, TOI 1/18)

The WHO voiced concern about the unequal distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. The head of the WHO in the occupied Palestinian territories Dr. Gerald Rockenschaub said that the WHO has been in contact with Israel, trying to get the country to distribute vaccines to front-line workers in the occupied territories. Israel has boasted about its successful vaccination campaign, claiming the highest rate per capita, but has as of late come under international media scrutiny for not shouldering its responsibilities as an occupying power by distributing vaccines among its occupied population. (AP 1/18; HA 1/19)