The Palestine Chronology

IDF troops clash with stone-throwing Palestinian youths at a checkpoint outside Ramallah; 2 Palestinians are lightly injured. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops arrest a Palestinian allegedly planning a stabbing attack at Huwwara checkpoint nr. Nablus, arrest 7 Palestinians during late-night raids nr. Jenin, Hebron, Tubas, Ramallah, and Nablus; and patrol during the day in and around Qalqilya and Hebron. Israeli forces demolish a residential structure nr. Jericho. Palestinian youths throw stones at an IDF vehicle that reportedly entered Sa‘ir village nr. Hebron by accident. PASF and IDF troops then enter the village to escort the vehicle out. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 4 Islamic Waqf guards at Haram al-Sharif after they prevent an Israeli archaeologist from removing several stones from the sanctuary. The Israeli police escort the archaeologist and his colleagues out of the sanctuary and arrest 6 more guards during late-night raids across the city. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/27; HA, MNA 3/28; PCHR 3/30)

After closing it on 3/26, the Hamas-run Ministry of Interior in Gaza conditionally re-opens the Erez border crossing this morning. Medical patients, families visiting prisoners in Israel, women of all ages, and men between the ages of 15 and 45 are allowed to exit Gaza, and all are able to enter, as long as they possess the appropriate permissions. Meanwhile, Hamas’s Atty. Gen. Ismail Jaber issues a gag order on the publication of any information relating to the investigation into the killing of senior military cmdr. Fuqaha on 3/24. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI 3/27)

Israeli PM Netanyahu has decided to reassess his ban on Israeli MKs and ministers visiting Haram al-Sharif, according to reports in the Israeli press today. Any change in the current policy would come after a 3-mo. assessment period. Netanyahu instituted the ban in 10/2015 during the habba, the surge of Palestinian resistance, random attacks, and protests that began in Jerusalem in 9/2015. (JP, TOI 3/27; MNA 3/29)