The Palestine Chronology

In Gaza, IDF troops e. of Gaza City fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers approaching the border fence, causing no injuries. They also arrest a Palestinian man who entered Israel with a knife. In the West Bank, IDF troops clash with stone-throwing Palestinians nr. Jenin; 1 Palestinian is shot and injured with live ammunition and another is hospitalized after inhaling tear gas. The IDF also conducts house searches and raids in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, arresting 8 Palestinians; arrests 5 Palestinian children on their way to school in Hebron; patrols in Qalqilya, 2 villages nr. Hebron, and 1 nr. Jenin. Israeli forces seal off a stone factory nr. Hebron and seize a truck from the facility. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces clash with Palestinians in Silwan, arresting 1. In s. Israel, Israeli forces level 25,000 dunams of agricultural land in a Palestinian bedouin village nr. Beersheba. (MNA, WAFA 3/3; MNA, TOI 3/4; PCHR 3/5)

UN Special Rapporteur Makarim Wibisono files a report with the UNHRC calling on Israel to investigate the killing of over 1,500 Palestinian civilians during OPE. Since Israel barred Wibisono entrance to Gaza, the report is based solely on interviews conducted in Amman and Cairo. (REU 3/3)

Israeli PM Netanyahu addresses the U.S. Congress, warning of the dangers of a deal with Iran on its nuclear program and drawing connections between the Iranian govt. and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Playing off momentum from the speech, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) schedules a floor vote for 3/10 on the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act. (AFP, HA, JP, MNA, REU, TOI, WAFA, YA 3/3)

EU special envoy Moratinos discusses peace process with PA Local Government M Erakat. (al-Ra'i 2/5 in WNC 2/11)

Arafat arrives in Spain for 2-day visit, to be followed by trip to the Netherlands. (PALDEV Digest [Internet] 2/4)

In Cairo, Egypt, PA sign custom exemption agmt. (MENA 2/4 in WNC 2/6) (see Peace Monitor)

Netanyahu spokesman Bar-Ilan says that government will override Interior Min.'s 1/22 approval of "Jewish sector" construction plans for Ras al-Amud. (MM, NYT, WP 2/5)

Palestinians living nr. Efrat settlement protest Israeli plans to confiscate their land to build road for local settlers. (PR 2/13)

Jordan's Interior Min. announces it has approved establishment of new Jordan Labor Party, which advocates building relations btwn. Jordanian, Israeli peoples but opposes polices of current Likud government. (JT 2/4 in WNC 2/6; JT 2/10 in WNC 2/11)

Congress debates resolution allowing Pres. Clinton to launch attack on Iraq. White House prefers diplomatic solution with resort to targeted attack on military facilities, sites of suspected violations if there is no progress. Mbrs. of Joint Chiefs of Staff say list of targets belies lack of strategy, White House is only interested in "putting on a show"; recommend concentrated attacks on Republican Guard, facilities housing security details, mbrs. Saddam Hussein's inner circle. Conservative lawmakers--including Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS), Rep. Steven Solarz (D-NY)--say attack should aim to remove Saddam Hussein fr. power. (WT 2/4; NYT, WP, WT 2/5)

PM Netanyahu arrives in Washington, holds separate mtgs. with American Jewish groups, Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson, House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell; gives speech to Voice United for Israel, a coalition dominated by Christian fundamentalists. Falwell tells Netanyahu that he will mobilize evangelical churches to oppose any FRD. (MM, WP, WT 1/20; IDF Radio 1/20 in WNC 1/21; ITV 1/20 in WNC 1/23; NYT, WP, WT 1/21; MM, WT 1/26; MEI 1/30)

Israel receives fr. the U.S. 1st 2 of 25 F-15I aircraft, which have a 2,400-mi. range--enough to hit Iran, Iraq, Libya without refueling--and ability to carry 11 tons of weapons. (Der Standaard [Groot-Bijgaarden] 1/20 in WNC 1/21; MENA 1/21 in WNC 1/23; MEI 1/30; JP 1/31)

In advance of his mtg. with Clinton 1/22, Arafat arrives in Cairo for 2 days of talks on the peace process with Mubarak. (MENA 1/19, 1/20 in WNC 1/21; PR 1/23)

In under 3 hrs., PA security court tries, sentences to 15 yrs. 2 Hamas mbrs. on charges of masterminding the 7/30, 9/4 suicide bombings. Jassir Samara, Nasim Abu Rus were arrested in a raid in Nablus 1/12. (LAW 1/19; WP, WT 1/20)

At the start of 3 days of mtgs. in Bucharest, Syria, Romania sign 4 cooperation agmts. covering transportation, trade, health and the environment, youth and sports. (Rompres [Bucharest] 1/19, Radio Romania Network [Bucharest] 1/20 in WNC 1/21)