The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in Burin, throwing Molotov cocktails at several homes. Israeli settlers also assaulted 1 Palestinian man working his land near Ya‘bad, causing bruises. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bazariya, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Burin, injuring 2 with baton rounds and 7 with tear gas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Dayr Sharaf, injuring 1 with a baton round and 23 with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters near Tulkarm, causing tear-gas related injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in al-Bireh, injuring 2 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters at the Jalama checkpoint, causing tear-gas related injuries. Separately, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Atuf, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also raided Dheisheh refugee camp, injuring 3 Palestinians with live ammunition. In East Jerusalem, some 70,000 Israeli settlers and racist right-wing Israeli activists marched through the Old City, chanting racist and Islamophobic slogans like “Death to Arabs,” insulting the Prophet Muhammad, and mocking the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during the annual flag march; Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting the march; 81 were injured by baton rounds and pepper spray, 23 of whom were treated at hospitals. More than 60 were arrested, only 2 of which were Israeli settlers. Israeli settlers also attacked several Palestinians and their property in the Old City, including with assault and pepper spray. More than 2,500 Israeli settlers led by MK Itamar Ben-Gvir also toured the Haram al-Sharif compound, raising Israeli flags. Elsewhere, after the flag march, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians and their property, including several vehicles in Sheikh Jarrah, assaulting 1 Palestinian journalist covering the events for the Israeli public broadcaster Kan. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinians east of al-Qarara and Gaza City; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen west of Gaza; no injuries were reported. (REU, WAFA 5/26; ALM, HA, MEE, REU 5/27; ALM, HA, MDW 5/28; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, MEE, NPR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WSJ 5/29; AJ, AJ, ALM, ALM, AP, CNN, HA, HA, HA, IN, LAT, MEE 5/30; MEMO 5/31; AP, HA, HA 6/2; UNOCHA 6/4)

While speaking at Elon Moreh during an event celebrating the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, the commander of the Samaria brigade Roi Zweig said that “the [Israeli] army and the settlement enterprise are one and the same.” (HA 5/30; MDW 6/3)

The Israeli government told the high court of justice that it is enforcing a ban on Israeli settlers accessing the Homesh settlement outpost. Haaretz reporting said that the Israeli military is not enforcing the ban and allows Israeli settlers to access the outpost regularly. (HA 6/2)

The Times of Israel reported that the U.S. Biden administration had shelved plans to reopen the U.S. consulate to Palestinians in Jerusalem and instead is promoting the deputy assistant secretary of state for Israeli and Palestinian affairs Hady Amr to special envoy to Palestinians. The Palestinian Affairs Unit at the U.S. embassy to Israel will, according to the TOI reporting, begin to report to Hady Amr rather than to the U.S. ambassador to Israel. PA officials have voiced frustration with the U.S. administration for failing to fulfill its promises to Palestine and using the Israeli government coalition’s instability as an excuse. (TOI 5/29; AA 5/30; MEMO 5/31; HA 6/2)

In the Gaza Strip, civil employees continue their strike for a 2d day, protesting the fact that they haven’t been paid a full salary since 6/2. Separately, almost 200 Palestinians gather nr. the French Cultural Center in Gaza City to protest the recent publication of cartoons featuring the Prophet Muhammad by Parisbased satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Gaza’s police arrest 7 of the protesters. Late at night after the protests, unknown assailants set off a homemade bomb under the car of an administrative official with Hamas’s military police, which was parked outside his home in Shaykh Radwan. Off the coast nr. al-Sudaniyya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. Additionally, Israeli naval forces capture a boat sailing from the Sinai to Gaza with materials for building rockets and detain the 3 Palestinians aboard, according to the IDF. (The incident will not be reported until 2/11, due to an IDF gag order.) In the West Bank, IDF troops expel 2 Palestinian women from their home in c. Hebron, then seal the property. In nearby villages, Israeli forces close 2 Palestinian-owned stores; destroy a well and an animal barn. They also deliver a stopwork order to a site nr. Jenin where Palestinians are building a new park. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Hebron, Ramallah, Qalqilya, Jenin, and at Nur Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem neighborhoods, Israeli forces demolish 2 homes and a residential building. As a result, 1 Palestinian woman is injured with a rubber-coated metal bullet during clashes with IDF troops in Issawiyya. Nearby, Israeli forces arrest 9 Palestinians, including 1 pregnant Palestinian journalist and 4 other women at Haram al-Sharif. Across Israel, 100s of Palestinians gather to protest the killing of 2 Palestinian bedouins in Rahat on 1/14 and 1/18. After a funeral for the man killed on 1/18, clashes break out between residents of Rahat and Israeli police, but police refrain from using crowddispersal measures on orders from a district cmdr. Meanwhile, residents of Rahat continue their strike. (MNA, WAFA 1/19; JP, MNA, WAFA 1/20; HA, MEE 1/21; PCHR 1/22; OCHA 1/23; YA 2/11)

In Brussels, EU FMs agree to appeal the Gen. Court of the EU’s 12/17 decision to remove Hamas from the body’s list of foreign terrorist organizations. (AFP, JP 1/19)

The Jerusalem District Court convicts Hamas-affliated PC mbrs. Khalid Abu Arafa and Muhammad Toutah of membership in a terrorist organization and illegally residing in Israel, following their arrest in 1/2012 after they had stayed 569 days at the Red Cross office in Shaykh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem (see Quarterly Update in JPS 163). (JP 2/14)

In the Gaza Strip, the IDF opens fire on Palestinians close to the border fence nr. Bayt Hanun, injuring 2. IDF soldiers also make a brief incursion into the Gaza Strip nr. Bayt Lahiya to level land, opening fire on surrounding areas as they do so. In the West Bank, IDF soldiers open fire and wound a Palestinian when his car passes over a checkpoint nr. Qalqilya. The IDF also patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon and in Tulkarm at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Hebron in the morning, and 1 village each nr. Jenin, Ramallah, and Salfit at night. (MNA 2/14; PCHR 2/21)

Republicans vote against the nomination of Chuck Hagel as defense secretary in a 58–40 vote in the Senate, delaying his approval and provoking Democrats’ anger at what they claim is an unprecedented filibuster. Sixty votes are required to pass a motion to stop debate and move the process on to a vote by the full senate. Another vote is expected later in the month and Obama says he expects the nomination to be approved. (REU 2/14)

Announcing the start of a “sustained” campaign against Islamic Jihad, the IDF imposes 24-hr. curfews on Tulkarm town and r.c., al-Til, and Nur al-Shams r.c.; reinvades Tulkarm (turned over to PA security control on 3/22) and al-Til in its largest military operation since Israeli and the Palestinians agreed to an unofficial cease-fire on 2/8, fatally shooting a PA policeman, leaving a 2d PA policeman clinically dead, arresting at least 6 Palestinians with Islamic Jihad ties; 2 IDF soldiers are injured. Israel says it was forced to act in Tulkarm because the PA had not reined in militants there, citing the bombing as proof; the PA says the assault on Tulkarm is unjustified, since the 7/12 bomber came fr. al-Til, 5 mi. away, under Israeli military control. Late in the evening, the IDF raids Nablus, fatally shoots Islamic Jihad cmdr. Muhammad al-Assi when he attempts to elude arrest; detains an Islamic Jihad mbr., a British woman with him. The IDF also demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem; razes 4 bedouin tents, 6 animal pens outside Bethlehem; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba stone a Palestinian vehicle driving the Palestinian section of Hebron, injuring the driver. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar vandalize a Palestinian home, burn a Palestinian car nr. Nablus. In Bureij r.c., the PA security forces secure the release of 2 international aid workers (1 British, 1 Australian) kidnapped by a Palestinian family that hoped to use them as bargaining chips to secure the release of relatives jailed by the PA. An Israeli dies of injuries received in the 7/12 bombing. (AFP, IMEMC, JTA, NYT, PR, XIN 7/13; VOP 7/13 in WNC 7/13; VOI, VOP 7/13 in WNC 7/14; NYT, PCHR, PRCS, WP, WT 7/14; VOI 7/14 in WNC 7/15; JAZ 7/17; OCHA, PR 7/20; PCHR 7/21)