The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Khallet al-Dabe in Masafer Yatta, vandalizing 70 olive trees and releasing Palestinian-owned sheep on the land, destroying crops as they grazed. 24 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Bethlehem, Dheisheh refugee camp, al-Arroub refugee camp, Balata refugee camp, Tell, Tulkarm, and Deir al-Ghusun. In East Jerusalem, a group of Israeli settlers attacked 1 Palestinian man in Sheikh Jarrah and vandalized 5 Palestinian-owned vehicles. The settlers sprayed pepper spray at the man and threw stones at vehicles; 2 of the settlers were arrested by Israeli police on 12/10 in relation to the attack. 13 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Ras al-Amud and Isawiya. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Beit Lahiya; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces arrested 2 Palestinians near the Gaza fence east of Khan Yunis. Israeli forces also opened fire at Palestinian farmers east of al-Maghazi; no injuries were reported. (MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/9; HA, WAFA 12/10; PCHR 12/16)

The Israeli ministry of justice closed a probe into the killing of 1 Palestinian who was lying on the ground after allegedly stabbing 1 Israeli man near the Damascus Gate plaza on 12/4. The ministry accepted the Israeli soldiers’ claim that they were acting in self-defense when they executed the man on the ground, several feet away from the soldiers. (AJ, HA, MEE, WAFA 12/9)

Haaretz reported that complaints of beatings of 10 Palestinian prisoners by Israeli prison guards had been given to Israeli police. The beatings allegedly unfolded in the aftermath of the prisoner escape on 9/6 as Palestinian prisoners subsequently were transferred from Gilboa prison to Shata prison. (HA 12/5; HA 12/9)

The British war monitoring NGO Airwars released a report focused on Israeli air strikes in Gaza and Syria. Airwars found that during the 11-day attack on Gaza in May, Israel killed between 151 and 192 Palestinian civilians in 128 “locally reported civilian harm events.” Airwars also found that between 15 and 20 civilians were killed in Gaza due to Palestinian rocket misfires. In a comparative study between Israeli attacks on Syria and Gaza, Airwars found that Israel killed many times more civilians during its 11-day attack on Gaza then it had done in Syria since 2013. Airwars attributed this discrepancy to willingness to attack densely populated areas of Gaza, while showing hesitancy to do so in Syria. (AA, Airwars 12/9)

Haaretz released an investigative report based on previously classified Israeli ministerial documents about the Nakba. The report revealed that Israeli cabinet ministers were aware of the massacres on Palestinians by the Israeli military. (HA 12/9; HA, MEE 12/10; WAFA 12/12)

Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid met with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo to discuss Iran, normalization deals, and the reconstruction of Gaza. Foreign Minister Lapid presented President al-Sisi with his “economy for security” plan for Gaza. (AJ, ALM, HA, MEMO 12/9; ALM, MEMO 12/10)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz met with senior U.S. officials in Washington, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Defense Minister Gantz is said to be trying to convince the U.S. officials to expand sanctions on Iran. (AX 12/8; AJ, HA, REU 12/9; ALM, NYT 12/10)

NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware was detected on 4 activists’ phones in Kazakhstan. The 4 activists are critics of the Kazakh government. (HA 12/9)

Sweden pledged $5.7 million to UNRWA and UN’s development program, earmarked to help Palestinians in Gaza rebuild after Israel’s attacks in May. (WAFA 12/9)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians during a raid in Tayasir, injuring 2 with live ammunition, 1 with a rubber-coated bullet, and other suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces raided a printing company in Hebron, seizing 19 printing machines and closing the company indefinitely. Israeli forces also demolished 1 agricultural structure and 1 water tank near Qiffin and 1 commercial structure in Ya‘bad. 15 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Qalqilya, Deir Abu Mash’al, Tubas, Qusra, and Beit Umar. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/18; PCHR 8/19)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with the head of Egypt’s general intelligence service Abbas Kamel in Ramallah. The readout from the meeting said that the 2 discussed bilateral relations. However, it is likely that the 2 also discussed the Egyptian mediation efforts to create a long-term ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. Egyptian security officials met with Israeli security officials earlier in the day in Cairo and Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett and Defense Minister Benny Gantz met with Kamel prior to his visit to Ramallah. Palestinian factions in Gaza said they would resume protests at the Gaza fence on 8/21 if no progress had been made in easing the restrictions imposed on the Gaza blockade after the May assault on Gaza and if Qatari aid continued to be stalled. During their meeting, Kamel invited Prime Minister Bennett to Cairo to meet Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. (ALM, AP, HA, HA, WAFA 8/18; ALM, HA, MEMO, MEMO 8/19)

The Israeli high court of justice rejected a petition by the family of Ahmad Erekat, who was killed by Israeli forces on 6/23/2020, to have his remains handed over to his family. According to Adalah, Israel is holding the bodies of 81 people killed by Israeli forces since 2015. (HA, WAFA 8/18; MEE 8/19)

Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett was invited to meet U.S. president Joe Biden at the White House on 8/26. (AP, AX, MEE, MEMO, REU, REU 8/18; HA, MEMO 8/20)

53 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives called on U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken to take a more proactive role in ensuring that humanitarian aid is able to reach Gaza, as Israel continues to keep additional restrictions on the blockade placed during the Israeli assault on Gaza in May. The representatives were led by Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI). (HA, MEE 8/19; ALM, WAFA 8/20)

Japan announced that it would contribute $3.7 million to the UNRWA during a visit by Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Ramallah. (WAFA 8/18)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted some 60 olive saplings in Jalud. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinian vehicles traveling on the Nablus-Qalqilya road, leading to 1 injury and damage. Israeli forces shot and injured 7 Palestinians trying to enter Israel for work through the separation barrier near Far‘un. Israeli forces also seized heavy machinery used to rehabilitate a road in Kardala. 10 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Bayt Umar, Sabastiyya, Qabatiya, Jalazun refugee camp, and Nahalin. In East Jerusalem, 6 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Issawiyya. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen 3 nautical miles west of al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian farmers east of Khan Yunis and Dayr al-Balah; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/11; PCHR 1/14)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Israeli defense ministry and the civil administration’s higher planning committee will approve 800 new settlement units in the Itamar, Beit El, Shavei Shomron, Oranit, Givat Ze’ev, Tal Menashe, and Nofei Nehemia settlements and settlement outposts. Prime Minister Netanyahu also said on Facebook that “[w]e’re here [in the West Bank] to stay. We’re continuing to build the Land of Israel.” Leader of the Israeli opposition Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party called the announcement of the new settlement units “irresponsible,” citing the U.S. presidential transition on 1/20. France’s foreign ministry, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the PA denounced the settlement expansion. Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz also approved a small number Palestinian construction projects in al-Walaja, Hizma, Bethlehem, and Bayt Jala. All the projects need secondary approval. (ABC, AJ, AP, HA, REU, TOI, TOI, WAFA 1/11; REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/12)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and a member of the PLO executive committee condemned the UAE for allowing Israeli settler products to be imported to its market after the 1st shipment of Israeli settler goods arrived in the UAE. (WAFA 1/11; REU 1/14)

The PA health ministry said it had approved the Russian-made COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V for emergency use. (WAFA 1/11)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas issued 3 presidential decrees, 2 of which critiques say serves to bolster the power of the PA presidency ahead of potential elections later this year. 1 decree allows the PA president to select judges instead of approving judges, who would be selected based on seniority. The decree also allows the president to force Palestinian judges to retire 5 years before the set retirement age of 70. A 2d decree establishes administrative courts, which can hear petitions against officials and institutions, previously a duty of the High Court of Justice. The president of the administrative court is appointed by the PA president. (HA 1/28)

An Israeli court in Lod ruled that screening or distributing the movie Jenin Jenin from 2002 by Mohammad Bakri should be banned and copies of the movie destroyed. Bakri was also ruled to pay $55,000 to an Israeli soldier who appears in archival footage used for the movie and $16,000 for the cost of the trial. The Israeli judge said that Bakri did not do enough research to label the movie a documentary. The PA ministry of culture condemned the ruling. (HA 1/11; AJ, TOI, WAFA 1/12; WAFA 1/13)

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that he regretted forming a coalition with Prime Minister Netanyahu, saying that Netanyahu “cheated me and cheated you [the Israeli public].” He then called on all opposition leaders, including the Joint Arab List’s Ayman Odeh, to join him in sending “Bibi [Netanyahu] home” in the upcoming election. (HA 1/11)

The foreign ministers of Germany, France, Jordan, and Egypt met in Cairo to discuss reviving peace talks between Israel and Palestine. The quartet expressed willingness to work closely with the U.S. to map steps toward peace. In a statement, the 4 called for a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. According to the Jerusalem Post, the 4 countries had tried to invite the Israeli and PA foreign ministers to the meeting, but both were unable or unwilling to travel for the meeting. (HA, WAFA 1/11; JP 1/12)

U.S. billionaire and mega-donor to Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, and Israeli settlements Sheldon Adelson died. Adelson had recently flown the convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard to Israel from the U.S. so he could immigrate after being released from parole, and he bought the U.S. ambassador’s house in Tel Aviv from the U.S. state department earlier in 2020. Adelson was known to have had a large influence on U.S. president Donald Trump’s aggressively pro-Israel policies during his presidency. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU 1/12)