The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian during a raid in ‘Ayn Bayt a-Ma’ refugee camp, 2 were arrested. Israeli forces also razed 5 dunums (1.25 acres) of farmland and sealed 3 water wells with concrete in Hijja. 39 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Bethlehem, Tubas, Jenin, al-Bireh, Salfit, Tulkarm, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. (AJ, AP, HA, IN, MEE, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/26; PCHR 7/27; UNOCHA 7/29; HA 7/30; UNOCHA 8/11)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh met with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara. The 2 Palestinian leaders met in preparation for the summit of Palestinian political parties in Cairo on 7/30 where reconciliation will be discussed. According to Al Jazeera, Abbas presented Haniyeh with a plan that would see all Palestinian parties operate under the PLO umbrella. (HA 7/25; AJ, HA, MEMO, QDS, QDS, QDS, REU 7/26)

Qatar, Oman, and China submitted written statements to the ICJ in support of Palestine. (WAFA, WAFA 7/26)

Germany said it had pledged $40 million to UNRWA during a visit to Gaza by the German representative to Palestine. (WAFA 7/26)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers prevented an Israeli road company from carrying out work to reopen a road for Palestinians connecting the village of Azzariyeh to Bethlehem. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian minor during a raid in Husan, saying he had thrown a Molotov cocktail at the Israeli forces; 4 others were injured by live ammunition. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian man during a raid in Silwad; 6 others were injured. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian man during a raid in Nablus and injured 16 others. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian man during a raid in Beita. Meanwhile, Israeli forces raided Joseph’s Tomb near Nablus, violently dispersing Palestinian protesters; 2 were injured with baton rounds. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters during a raid in al-Khader, injuring 1 elderly Palestinian man who was sitting on his balcony with a concussion bomb to his face; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Separetly, Israeli forces raided the Palestine Technical University in Tulkarm, injuring 3 Palestinians with baton rounds. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Beit Umar, injuring 2 with baton rounds. Palestinians threw stones at 1 Israeli settler who entered Husan; no injuries were reported in relation to that incident. 28 Palestinians were arrested, including 26 during late-night raids in Hebron, Kobar, Beit Umar, al-Bireh, Beita, al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, ‘Urif, Qabatiya, Kafr Rai, Jaba‘, Jenin, Tubas, and Silwad, and 2 were arrested at checkpoints near Jericho and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in al-Tur and Isawiya. (AJ, AP, F24, GDN, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, PCHR, PCN, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/13; ABC, AJ, HA, MEE, PCHR, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/14; HA 4/18; HA 4/21; UNOCHA 4/23)

Commander of the Samaria Brigade Roi Zweig told his soldiers, in a televised speech, that they had to “restore the honor to this land and the people of Israel,” before the troops entered Nablus to guard the site of Joseph’s Tomb, which is undergoing restoration work after it was vandalized on 4/9. Zweig made many references to the Hebrew Bible and the promises made to the people of Israel in his speech. (HA 4/13; HA 4/14; HA 4/18)

Turkish foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told Israeli journalists in Ankara that Israel must respect “the international law on the Palestinian issue” to normalize ties with Turkey. Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey condemns the recent attacks in Israel and the killing of 1 unarmed Palestinian woman on 4/10. (AX, HA, TOI 4/13)

Qatar donated $1.5 million to UNRWA, earmarked for food assistance programs in Gaza. (MEMO 4/14)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinians in al-Tuba, causing 1 injury. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters demonstrating against the Evyatar settlement outpost near Qusra, injuring 50. 2 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Hebron and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Silwan, injuring 1 with live ammunition; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. In Israel, 4 Palestinians from Gaza were arrested after crossing into Israel. (TOI, WAFA, WAFA 7/10; WAFA 7/11; PCHR 7/15)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara as part of a 3-day visit to the country. (WAFA 7/9; WAFA 7/10)

Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct late-night raids and house searches nr. Tulkarm, Ramallah, Hebron, Qalqilya, Nablus, and Bethlehem, arresting 7 Palestinians, assaulting 1, and confiscating some property; patrol in 4 villages nr. Hebron. Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home under construction in a village nr. Bethlehem in the morning. In East Jerusalem, around 40 Israeli settlers storm a Palestinian-owned building in the Old City, performing prayers and claiming ownership of the property. Israeli forces confiscate a small swath of land in Shaykh Jarrah and turn it over to a private settler organization, and arrest 2 Palestinians during late-night raids in al-‘Izzariya and Qatanna. (MNA, WAFA 5/9; PCHR 5/12)

At the Jaffa Military Court, the manslaughter trial of the Israeli soldier who shot and killed a prone and detained Palestinian in Hebron on 3/24 begins. (HA, TOI, YA 5/9)

Israel’s consul-gen. in Istanbul Shai Cohen says that Israeli-Turkish reconciliation will have to wait for the formation of a new govt. in Ankara. Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoğlu is set to step down on 5/22 following a dispute with Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. (REU, TOI 5/10)

IDF forces and Palestinians continue to clash in demonstrations across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including in al-Khader nr. Bethlehem, where IDF soldiers shoot and seriously injure a woman. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, and 4 villages nr. Ramallah at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron, 3 villages nr. Hebron, 1 village nr. Bethlehem, and 1 village nr. Qalqilya at night. In the Gaza Strip, IDF forces open fire on houses and agricultural lands nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. (MNA 4/6; JP 4/7; PCHR 4/11)

U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry arrives in Turkey at the start of a regional tour, his third since assuming office in 2/2013 (previous trips were 3/4 and 3/24). His talks in Ankara are expected to focus on the Syria crisis and encouraging the Turkish government to further the improvement of relations with Israel. (AFP, REU 4/6)

Tammam Salam is elected by parliament as Lebanon’s new prime minister, securing 124 of 128 votes. Salam, former minister of culture 2008–2009, replaces Najib Mikati, who resigned on 3/22. (NYT 4/6)

Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv reports that U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry is planning to visit Jerusalem and Ramallah ‘‘once every two weeks’’ in a bid to revive peace talks. His third trip to the region in 2 weeks (3/4, 3/24) begins 4/6. (AFP, AP 4/3)

Israeli soldiers stationed at a military post shoot and kill a Palestinian teenager nr. Tulkarm, after what the IDF says was a firebomb attack (an account disputed by witnesses). A Fatah-called general strike is observed in Hebron and East Jerusalem, as protests continue following the death of prisoner Maysara Abuhamdieh. Palestinians protesting the death clash with IDF forces in and around Hebron, in Nablus and Tulkarm, nr. Bethlehem, and outside Ofer prison nr. Ramallah (where 7 are injured with rubber bullets). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in and around Hebron and nearby al-‘Arub r.c. in the afternoon, and in 1 village nr. Hebron at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in al-‘Arub r.c. and 1 village nr. Hebron, in 1 village nr. Ramallah, and in Tulkarm at night. Unidentified Palestinian militants fire 2 rockets from Gaza into Israel, causing no injuries or damage. (HA, MNA 4/3; HA, PCHR 4/4)

A source in the office of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says that special envoy to Turkey Joseph Ciechanover and National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror will go to Ankara on 4/11 for the start of talks on restoring Turkish-Israeli ties. (HA 4/3)

U.S. and Jordanian officials say that the two countries are training Syrian opposition forces that could be used to establish a future buffer zone alongside Syria’s southern border. (WP 4/3)

After early morning consultations with senior cabinet mbrs., the IDF launches its major offensive on Gaza, Operation Cast Lead (OCL), at 11:25 A.M. local time (4:25 A.M. EST). Israeli DM Barak acknowledges (WP 12/28) that OCL has been planned for several months, stating that the aim is “to strike Hamas severely so as to change the situation from its base,” cautioning that “it won’t be short.”

Israeli actions: After an initial “shock and awe campaign” lasting 3 min. and 40 sec., with 64 warplanes hitting more than 50 targets across the Strip, the IDF conducts periodic air strikes throughout the day, recording a total of 170 sorties against 150 targets, killing at least 228 Palestinians, wounding more than 700 (140 seriously), marking the highest single-day death toll and Israel’s largest offensive in the territories since 1967. The midday timing of the initial onslaught, just as schools let out for lunch, increases the number of civilian casualties, including an estimated 25 women and children. Israeli Military Intelligence sends automated calls to 20,000 Palestinians across the Strip warning of further air strikes targeting anyone with weapons or guns.

Targets struck are primarily civil police stations, military training bases, Hamas-related command-and-control centers, suspected weapons depots, and sites believed to manufacture rockets. Target areas include Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, al-Bureij r.c., Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City (the city center and al-Daraj, al-Shuja‘iyya, Tal al-Hawa, alTuffah, al-Zaytun neighborhoods), Jabaliya r.c., Khan Yunis, al-Mughraqa (s. of Gaza City), Rafah, Shati’ r.c., and al-Zahra’ (c. Gaza nr. Jabaliya).

Palestinian actions: Palestinians fire 59 rockets (including some that reach the farthest north to date), 19 mortars into Israel during the day, killing 1 Israeli civilian in Netivot, wounding 4. (The fatality may have occurred before the official launch of OCL.)

Humanitarian notes: Gaza’s hospitals report (BBC 12/27) overflowing wards and not enough surgeons or supplies to cope. Egypt temporarily opens the Rafah crossing to allow transportation of some wounded to Egyptian hospitals.

Of note: During the initial “shock and awe,” the IDF hits a police academy graduation ceremony in Gaza City, killing at least 60 new civil police recruits and the chief of Palestinian police Maj. Gen. Tawfiq Jabber. Other targets include Gaza City’s main jail (the Saraya, holding Hamas opponents, hitting only the gates), the PA Preventive Security headquarters in Gaza City, the PA security compound in Rafah (southern headquarters of the PASF, PA Internal Security Service, and PA civil police), PA naval police facilities in n. Gaza and Khan Yunis, Palestinian Telecommunication Company offices in n. Gaza, a Gaza City mosque identified by the IDF as “a base for terrorist activities,” Hamas’s al-Aqsa TV station, the agriculture control dept. in Khan Yunis, numerous police stations and training sites, at least 9 homes, several workshops (considered rocket-manufacturing sites), and Hamas’s Asda’ media center outside Khan Yunis. One IDF airstrike on a PA ministry building kills 8 Palestinian students at an adjacent UNRWA training center, wounding 19 others (8 seriously). Hamas and Palestinian human rights groups in Gaza estimate that the dead include around 165 civil police officers (including those at the graduation ceremony) and Hamas’s central district governor, Abu Ahmad Ashur. Some targets are hit with U.S.-supplied GBU-39 bunkerbusting munitions received as recently as 9/08 (see Quarterly Update in JPS 150 and the “Israeli Arsenal” document in this issue’s Special Focus section). (al-Arabiyya TV, BBC, HA, IDF, JAZ, Middle East News Agency [Cairo], Palestine News Agency, YA 12/27; AFP, AP, BBC, HA, IFM, JAZ, NYT, Radikal, REU, WP, WT, XIN 12/28; JP, NYT, Zaman [Ankara] 12/29; PCHR 1/1; BBC 12/30; UNOSAT 12/31; JP, WJW 1/1; WP 1/4; Eurasia Daily Monitor [online], NYT, UNOSAT 1/5; IFM, JPI 1/8; NYT 1/11)

In other Israeli-Palestinian violence, the IDF fires tear gas, percussion grenades, rubber-coated steel bullets to disperse Palestinians demonstrating against OCL in the East Jerusalem suburbs of Anata, Issawiyya, Shu‘fat r.c. An E. Jerusalem Palestinian, reportedly angry over events in Gaza, injures an Israeli border police officer in a deliberate hit and run in the city. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Jenin. (HA 12/28; PCHR, WJW 1/1)

Israel opens the s. safe-passage route linking Gaza, the West Bank. (MM 10/25; NYT, WP, WT 10/26; WJW 10/28; NYT 10/31; JP 11/5)

In Washington, Israel's Internal Security M Ben-Ami meets with Asst. Secy. of State Indyk, special envoy Ross for talks on the peace process. (WT 10/25; MM 10/26; WP 10/27; MM 10/29)

In Gaza, British FM Robin Cook meets with Arafat. (LPA 10/25 in WNC 10/26; MM 10/26)

In Ankara to inaugurate a housing complex that Israelis have built for Turkish earthquake survivors, PM Barak pledges to boost military cooperation, economic ties with Turkey; briefs Pres. Suleyman Demirel on status of Israeli-Syrian track; discusses possible bilateral military trade, water projects. (MM 10/25; ATL 10/25 in WNC 10/26; ATL 10/25, 10/26 in WNC 10/27; MM, WP 10/26; JP 11/5)

At Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem, an IDF soldier fatally shoots a Palestinian man. Officially, the IDF says the man came at the soldier with a knife, but a number of Palestinian witnesses claim that the solider's gun went off accidentally, and, after leading the distraught soldier away, other IDF troops planted the knife. The incident prompts demonstrations by 100s of Palestinians who throw stones, bottles at the troops, who respond by firing rubber bullets and tear gas, injuring 15. (MM, NYT, WP 10/26; MEI 10/29; JP 11/5)

Israel approves Arafat's request to allow DFLP leader Hawatimah to take up residence in the PA self-rule areas. Hawatimah currently lives in Damascus. (MM 10/25; NYT 10/26; AYM 10/28 in WNC 11/2)

The IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem. (LAW, MM 10/26; MM 10/28)

Israeli citizen David Mir, who owns 50% of the land which Israel confiscated for Har Homa and disapproves of Israel's decision to build, announces that he has been negotiating with Palestinians, other Arabs to transfer his rights to the land so as to turn the construction at Har Homa into construction on land confiscated fr. Arabs. (ITV 4/4 in WNC 4/7)

Turkey ratifies free trade agmt. with Israel (passed by the Knesset in 1996). (Analtolia [Ankara] 4/8 in WNC 4/9; VIRI 4/8 in WNC 4/10)

400 Palestinians clash with IDF troops in Hebron. 16 Palestinians are wounded by rubber bullets. Other clashes occur in Bethlehem, East Jerusalem. (WT 4/5)

Greece complains to the U.S. about recent Israeli initiatives, U.S. relations with Turkey. (MA 4/6 in WNC 4/8) (see 4/3)

In Lebanon, delegation fr. Hamas's political bureau meets with Hizballah Secy. Gen. Hasan Nasrallah to discuss peace process, Jerusalem. (al-'Ahd 4/4 in WNC 4/9)

In Bethlehem, 2-day Palestinian Council (PC) mtg. closes. (PBC, VOP 5/16 in FBIS 5/17; PR 5/24)

Israeli television reports that the PA's Yasir Arafat suffered a minor stroke earlier in the wk., while in Cairo. PA says he collapsed fr. a severe case of the flu, exhaustion. (ITV 5/16 in FBIS 5/17; AFP 5/19 in FBIS 5/20; Rose al-Yusuf 5/20 in FBIS 5/30)

Israel asks the PA to extradite 4 Palestinians serving sentences in PA jails for attacks inside Israel. PA says that since the men have been tried, convicted, and are serving time for the crimes under PA custody, the PA has no legal obligation to turn them over to Israel. (QY 5/16)

IDF tightens closure on West Bank, Gaza. Only Palestinians working in the Erez industrial zone may go to their jobs. Goods, produce may go through Qarni, Sufa crossing points. 50 Palestinian reporters will be allowed in to cover the run-up to the 5/29 Israeli elections. (QY 5/16 in FBIS 5/16; MEI 5/24) (see 5/13)

IDF declares Ramallah a closed military zone for Arafat's visit, meaning no Israeli traffic may enter the city. An identical closed military zone order for Nablus is lifted (see 5/15). (IDF Radio 5/16 in FBIS 5/17)

In Washington, France, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, the U.S. end a wk. of talks on the Israeli-Lebanese cease-fire monitoring group; agree on draft for monitoring procedures, send it to their respective capitals for approval. (MM 5/16; RL, RMC, SARR 5/16, QY 5/17 in FBIS 5/17; MM 5/17; WP 5/18; VOL 5/17, RL 5/19 in FBIS 5/20; MEI 5/24) (see 5/15)

In Ankara, Jordanian King Hussein, Turkish Pres. Suleyman Demirel hold 1-day mtg. on bilateral issues, incl. water, Iraq. Demirel assures king that Turkey's military cooperation agmt. with Israel does not harm Jordan's security. King Hussein says talks are positive, sides agree on all issues. (al-Dustur, RJ 5/16 in FBIS 5/16; MM 5/17)

Israeli authorities release information on man involved in the 4/12 East Jerusalem hotel explosion. They say the man, Husayn Maqdad, is a Lebanese Hizballah operative who was plotting a plane hijacking; claim he spent time at the Iranian embassy in Beirut. Hizballah denies having contact with him. (MM 5/16; AFP, QY 5/16 in FBIS 5/16; IDF Radio 5/16, QY 5/17 in FBIS 5/17; MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/17; PR 5/24; JP 5/25) (see 4/14)

In Nazareth, Israeli PM Shimon Peres meets with Israeli Arab voters to build their support, weakened by the closure of the territories and Israel's 4/96 assault on Lebanon. (NYT 5/18)

Israel launches its 1st commercial satellite, AMOS-I. (MM 5/16; JP 5/25)