The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Palestinian militants handed the body of a Druze citizen of Israel to Israel after negotiations between the PA and the militant group. Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and the PA all called for the release of the body. Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling west of Ramallah, causing damage. Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinian students with live ammunition during a raid at the Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie in Tulkarm; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also demolished 3 agricultural structures in Kafr ad-Dik. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian minor before arresting him in Nil’in. Israeli forces also seized 2 caravans, demolished 1 agricultural structure, and razed land in Atara. 14 Palestinians were arrested, including 12 during late-night raids in al-Mughayyir, Bayt Rima, Qaddura refugee camp, ‘Anata, Arab ar-Rashayida, Beit Umar, Dura, Khirbet Qilqis, Azzun, and Huwwara. 2 were arrested at a flying checkpoint near the Halamish settlement. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian fisherman west of al-Sudaniyya. In Gaza, Israeli forces fired tear gas at agricultural lands east of Gaza City and Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. In Israel, 3 Palestinians from Hebron were kidnapped in Yarka by Druze citizens of Israel seeking revenge for the kidnapping on 11/22 (see above). The 3 Palestinians were hospitalized after they were released. (HA, HA 11/23; AP, CNN, HA, HA, MEMO, TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/24; ALM, MEMO, UNOCHA 11/25; MEMO 11/27; PCHR 12/1; UNOCHA 12/16)

Israel revoked 200 of the 15,500 work permits for Palestinians in Gaza, saying that a laborer had admitted that he planned to plant a bomb on a bus on behalf of Islamic Jihad. The man was arrested on 10/30. (REU 11/24)

IDF troops open fire on 2 Palestinian siblings outside Halamish settlement near Ramallah, killing 1 and injuring the other. The IDF claims the victims were operating their car in a “suspicious” manner and that they looked like they were planning a ramming attack. The PA Foreign Ministry condemns the shooting as an “extrajudicial execution.” Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a stone-cutting workshop near Jenin. IDF troops arrest 12 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Tulkarm, Jenin, and Nablus, and patrol near Qalqilya, Tulkarm, and Hebron. Hundreds of Israeli settlers visit Joseph’s Tomb late at night, sparking clashes between their IDF escort and Palestinians from nearby Balata refugee camp; 2 Palestinians are injured. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 10/31; EI, MNA, WAFA 11/1; PCHR 11/2)

Late at night, Israeli forces carry out the punitive demolition of the Kobar home of the Palestinian who killed 3 settlers at the nearby Halamish settlement on 7/21. The demolition sparks clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians in the area; 12 Palestinians are injured. Separately, IDF troops arrest 5 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during raids nr. Hebron, Ramallah, and Bethlehem; and patrol nr. Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a 2-story building in Issawiyya, a makeshift home in Silwan, a car wash in Bayt Hanina, and a commercial structure in Jabal Mukabir. They also arrest 5 Palestinians during raids in al-Tur and Abu Dis. In Israel, the police arrest Shaykh Raed Salah, the head of the Islamic Movement’s outlawed Northern Branch, on charges related to incitement. (MNA, WAFA, YA 8/15; HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 8/16; PCHR 8/17)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for a 2d day in a row, allowing only Gazans embarking on the pilgrimage to Mecca to pass. (TOI, WAFA 8/15; OCHA 8/17)

Late at night, Israeli settlers enter Kobar, the Ramallah-area hometown of the Palestinian who stabbed 4 Israeli settlers at the Halamish settlement on 7/21. When Palestinians throw stones at the group, IDF troops escort the settlers out of the village and violently disperse the Palestinians, injuring 1. IDF troops also arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid in Qalqilya, and patrol nr. Hebron and Nablus during the day. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during a late-night raid in Qalandia r.c., sparking clashes with residents; 1 Palestinian is injured. They arrest 5 more Palestinians during raids in Silwan and the Old City. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Khan Yunis. In Israel, Israeli police clash with Palestinians in Jaffa protesting the police killing of a Palestinian in the area on 7/29; 2 protesters are arrested. (MNA 8/3; MNA, TOI, YA 8/4; PCHR 8/10)

In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian youth after he allegedly attempts to cross into Israel nr. Qalqilya. Israeli forces shut down the main entrance to Kobar, the Ramallah-area hometown of the Palestinian who stabbed 4 Israeli settlers at the Halamish settlement on 7/21. They also raid several homes in the village; arrest 4 Palestinians during late-night raids nr. Jenin and Bethlehem, and patrol nr. Salfit and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, approximately 140 Jewish settlers tour Haram al-Sharif in the morning. Israeli forces arrest 29 Palestinians in late-night raids in the Old City, Wadi al-Juz, Qalandia r.c., Issawiyya, and Silwan. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, MNA, WAFA 7/30; MNA, TOI, WAFA 7/31; PCHR 8/3)

Tensions stemming from new Israeli security measures at Haram al-Sharif boil over, with mass protests and clashes erupting across the oPt throughout the day; 3 Palestinians are killed (all in East Jerusalem), 235 are injured, and 27 are arrested (at least 2 Israelis are injured as well). The Islamic Waqf calls on all imams in Jerusalem to conduct their sermons outside Haram al-Sharif, and thousands of Muslim worshippers gather at the sanctuary. The Israeli police deploy heavily across Jerusalem and bar Palestinian men under the age of 50 from the Old City. In the evening, they cut off electricity to a large swathe of East Jerusalem and close the sanctuary to all visitors (it will remain closed through 7/23). (EI, MNA, NYT, WAFA 7/21; HA, MNA 7/22; WAFA 7/23; HA 7/24; PCHR 7/27)

In light of the crisis at Haram al-Sharif, PA pres. Abbas suspends all PA contacts with Israel, including security coordination. He also calls on Hamas to dismantle its new administrative comm. in Gaza and to turn the collective Palestinian struggle toward Israel. Abbas also phones senior U.S. advisor Kushner urging the U.S. to intercede and push Israel to remove the new security measures at the sanctuary. (MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 7/21; HA 7/22)

In the evening, a Palestinian enters the Halamish settlement nr. Bethlehem and stabs 4 Israeli settlers, killing 3 and seriously injuring the 4th. An off-duty IDF soldier hears the attack, then shoots and moderately injures the Palestinian assailant. Hours before the attack, the alleged assailant had posted to Facebook, “I’m going to die for al-Aqsa.” Late at night, the IDF raids the alleged attacker’s hometown, Kobar nr. Ramallah, detaining and interrogating his family and imposing a lockdown on the village. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 3 Palestinians during raids in Jenin and nr. Bethlehem, and patrol in and around Hebron. (EI, MNA 7/21; HA 7/22; PCHR 7/27)

Massive fires continue to burn across Israel and the West Bank for a 4th consecutive day, including new outbreaks nr. Jerusalem, causing serious damage in both Palestinian and Jewish communities. They spread further among Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including Halamish, a settlement near Ramallah, and Ma’ale Adumim. After the fires reach Halamish, the IDF shuts down the entrances to 3 Palestinian villages in the area, including Dayr Nizam. Israeli forces arrest 16 Palestinians across Israel and the West Bank in connection with the fire, including 1 man affiliated with the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel. Residents of Haifa are allowed to return to their homes after evacuating the previous day. (JP, HA, MNA, NYT 11/25)

IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian at a checkpoint in Shu‘fat r.c. after he allegedly attempts to stab one of them. Meanwhile, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s settlements, separation wall, and occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih), and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; there are no serious injuries. IDF troops also arrest 1 Palestinian during a late-night raid nr. Salfit, and patrol nr. Qalqilya and Hebron during the day. (JP, MNA, NYT 11/25; TOI 11/25; PCHR 12/1)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops nr. the border fence e. of Gaza City open fire on dozens of Palestinians protesting the delay in reconstruction efforts following OPE, causing no injuries. Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Bayt Hanun. Off the coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. Meanwhile, the IAF conducts mock air raids over the Strip. In the West Bank, IDF troops disperse a group of Palestinians ceremonially planting olive trees in Silwad nr. Ramallah, arresting a senior PA official. During the ensuing clashes, an Israeli settler attacks 2 Palestinian journalists covering the ceremony. The IDF also declares a swath of desert land e. of Jerusalem a closed military zone. IDF troops conduct house searches and arrest raids nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Ramallah; patrol nr. Hebron, Ramallah, Salfit, Qalqilya, and Tulkarm. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers chop down 70 olive trees nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, an Israeli settler and his lawyer attempt to evict a Palestinian family from their home in the Old City, which is the last Palestinian-owned home in this area. Meanwhile, 5 Palestinians from al-Tur are indicted on charges relating to a series of attacks on Israeli forces in the last 6 mos. of 2014, which the Shin Bet believes to be a neighborhood-wide conspiracy. Separately, Israeli forces fire tear gas canisters at Palestinian youth in Ras al-Amud; conduct house searches and raids in Jabal Mukabir. (MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 2/9; PCHR 2/12)

The Palestinian National Comm. against Israeli Punitive Measures announces a boycott of products manufactured by 6 major Israeli companies—Tnuva, Jafora-Tabori, Osem, Prigat, Strauss, and Elite. Comm. chair and Fatah Central Comm. mbr. Mahmoud al-Aloul says that merchants will have 2 weeks to remove the products from their shelves, then they will be subject to random checks from special inspectors. However, the boycott is not legally binding. (HA, JP, WAFA 2/9; MNA, YA 2/10; HA 3/9)

Haaretz reports that the Israeli govt. has marked around 3,740 dunams of the West Bank as state land, with the goal of expanding 4 existing settlements—Keddumim, Vered Yericho, Neve Tzuf, and Emmanuel. (HA, WAFA 2/9; YA 2/10)

srael holds parliamentary elections, dealing a significant setback to current PM Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu joint ticket. The next Knesset will be almost evenly split between the right-wing/religious bloc and centrist/center-left blocs, with the headlines dominated by the rise of centrist party Yesh Atid (‘‘There Is a Future’’) and its leader Yair Lapid. The final tally gives 31 seats to Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu, 19 to Yesh Atid, 15 to a resurgent Labor party, 12 to Naftali Bennett’s Jewish Home, 11 to Shas, 7 to United Torah Judaism, 6 each to Meretz and Tzipi Livni’s party Hatnuah, 4 each to United Arab List and Hadash, 3 to Balad, and 2 to Kadima. Voter turnout overall is high, with the estimated turnout for Palestinian citizens of Israel at 56%, according to figures cited by Army Radio. At the end of the night, Netanyahu says that he sees ‘‘many partners’’ for his ‘‘goals’’ and will seek to assemble ‘‘the broadest’’ coalition possible. (REU, AP 1/22; JP 1/23; JP 1/24)

British foreign secretary William Hague warns that it is almost the last chance to bring about a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and condemns Israeli settlement construction. (REU 1/22)

Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza coast nr. al-Waha, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, Jewish settlers begin work to expand Halamish settlement nr. Ramallah. The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning, and in al-Bireh at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron and 1 village each nr. East Jerusalem and Ramallah at night. (MNA, WAFA 1/22; PCHR 1/23)

Malaysia’s PM Najib Razak visits the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing. Pres. Abbas criticizes the visit as enhancing the Fatah-Hamas division. (MNA, NYT 1/22) 

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and the PLO’s Information and Culture Department condemn today’s arrest of journalists in the Gaza Strip by Hamas authorities. Most of those detained are affiliated with Fatah. (JP 1/22)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of al-Bureij r.c. arrest 3 Palestinian laborers who attempt to sneak into Israel to find work. The IDF enters Araba village nr. Jenin, raids and confiscates materials fr. a protest tent set up in solidarity with jailed Islamic Jihad spokesman Khader Adnan, who has been on hunger strike since 12/17/11 to protest his detention without charge; the homes of several protest organizers and participants are also raided and searched. The IDF also patrols in 3 villages n. of Ramallah in the morning, in 1 village nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Salfit and 1 nr. Qalqilya late in the evening. The IDF also conducts late-night house searches nr. Salfit. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish settlement enter nearby Nabi Saleh and set fire to a mosque; the fire is quickly extinguished. (PCHR 2/9; OCHA 2/10)

Unidentified assailants blow up Egypt’s natural gas pipeline to Israel for the 12th time in the past yr. No group takes responsibility. Israel generates 40% of its electricity fr. natural gas, and 43% of that natural gas is supplied by Egypt. (NYT 2/5)

In an apparent assassination attempt, the IDF conducts a drone missile strike on a Palestinian home in Bayt Hanun in n. Gaza, where IQB mbrs. are meeting, seriously wounding 2 IQB mbrs. and lightly injuring a bystander; Israel claims the IQB mbrs. were tied to Hamas’s rocket program. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts daytime patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah; conducts synchronized late-night patrols in 4 villages nr. Jenin; conducts other evening and late-night patrols in Jericho, 2 villages nr. Ramallah, and 1 nr. Qalqilya. Jewish settlers fr. Sham’a settlement nr. Hebron threaten several Palestinian shepherds and seize 150 of their sheep. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish settlement nr. Ramallah set fire to a nearby Palestinian olive grove, burning 50 trees. (PCHR 10/6; OCHA 10/7)

During the day, the IDF fires tear gas, stun grenades to disperse Palestinians holding a nonviolent demonstration in Iraq Burin to protest Israeli land confiscations, causing no reported injuries; soldiers then erect a checkpoint at the village entrance and declare the area a closed military zone. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish settlement nr. Ramallah barricade the entrance to Nabi Salih village and stone Palestinian vehicles; the IDF removes the settlers. In the evening, the IDF patrols in Bayt Liqya (firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them) and in 1 village nr. Jericho (without incident). (PCHR 7/28; OCHA 7/29)

Across Israel, as many as 30,000 Israelis inspired by the Arab Spring march to protest housing prices. (WP 7/24; NYT, WP 7/27)

Overnight, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) fires a manufactured C5K (S-5) rocket fr. Gaza toward an IDF base inside Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF rearrests Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Council (PC) mbr. Azzam Salhab; conducts an unusually high number of patrols in and around Tulkarm, in al-Bireh, and in villages nr. Jenin, Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Salfit in the morning; conducts more patrols in villages nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm in the evening and inside Jericho late at night. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish settlement nr. Ramallah block the road leading to nearby Nabi Salih village, stone passing Palestinian vehicles. Hamas-affiliated police force a bank to cash some $500,000 in stolen checks drawn against the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) account, even though the account does not have enough money in it. Hamas’s Interior Min. confirms the incident, saying police were ordered to seize the money after PIF governors transferred funds out of Gaza to accounts in the West Bank (see Quarterly Update for details). The Palestine Monetary Authority, which regulates Palestinian banks, closes all Gaza branches until 3/6 in protest. (AP, MNA 3/3; PCHR 3/10; OCHA 3/18)

In Bahrain, Shi‘i and Sunni groups clash in the town of Hamad in the 1st serious display of sectarian violence. Frequent antigovernment protests continue thereafter, taking on an increasingly sectarian tone. (NYT 3/4, 3/5; WP 3/6; NYT, WP, WT 3/7; WP 3/10; NYT, WP 3/12; NYT, WP 3/13; NYT, WP, WT 3/14)

To demonstrate some accountability in light of the Palestine Papers and to give Abbas the chance to strengthen his base in advance of elections, his cabinet resigns. Abbas immediately reappoints Fayyad as PM to form a new government. (NYT, WP 2/15)

Israel’s Jerusalem municipal authority approves 120 new housing units in Ramot settlement in East Jerusalem. Israeli authorities also bulldoze 1 d. of Palestinian fruit trees in Shaykh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem. Timed with the swearing-in ceremony of Israel’s new IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz, unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel; coming after several days of relative calm on the Gaza border, Israel says it interprets the strike as a message fr. the Gaza factions that they will not “make life easy” for Gantz in his new position. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the fmr. settlement sites, wounding 1. OCHA reports that Gaza hospitals have received 2 shipments of medical supplies fr. the PA Health Min. in Ramallah in recent days (see 1/18), reducing the number of supplies at zero stock fr. 183 to 150 (out of 480 essential items tracked). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm, 2 nr. Ramallah, and 1 nr. Jericho, firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and percussion grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them in 1 incident, causing no serious injuries; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jenin. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish settlement nr. Ramallah uproot 12 olive seedlings in neighboring Nabi Salih. (JP, YA 2/14; PCHR, WJW 2/17; OCHA 2/18)

Israel’s Interior Min. reports for the first time that preliminary approval for construction of 625 housing units in East Jerusalem’s Pisgat Ze’ev was quietly granted in 11/2010. During the day, the IDF makes another incursion into the Gaza area e. of Jabaliya that was shelled on 12/1, firing on the surrounding area but causing no reported injuries. A Palestinian is fatally electrocuted in a smuggling tunnel accident on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Izbal Jaloud village nr. Qalqilya during the day; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish settlement nr. Ramallah attempt to storm Nabi Salih village but are removed by IDF troops; later in the day, Palestinian youths throw stones at IDF troops patrolling the area, who respond with tear gas and stun grenades, causing no serious injuries. In n. Israel, 1,000s of Israelis flee their homes as a major forest fire brought on by drought tears through the Mount Carmel forest; at least 36 Israelis are left dead, most of them prison guards racing to evacuate inmates fr. a jail. (NYT, WP 12/3; PCHR 12/9; OCHA 12/10)

Direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are formally relaunched at a ceremony at the State Dept. in Washington, with Abbas and Netanyahu pledging to meet again on 9/13–14 in Egypt and then every 2 weeks thereafter to “keep momentum going.” Clinton, Abbas, Netanyahu, and U.S. special envoy George Mitchell meet, after which Abbas and Netanyahu meet privately for 90 mins. Mitchell then announces that the leaders have decided to work toward a “framework agreement” within a year that would outline “the compromises each side must be ready to make” to achieve peace as a 1st step before attempting to iron out a comprehensive peace treaty. (NYT, WP, WT 9/3)

For a 3d day in a row, IQB gunmen fire on a Jewish settler vehicle driving in West Bank area C, causing no injuries. Asked if Hamas’s political leadership approved the recent string of shootings, West Bank IQB spokesman Abu Ubaidah says the operations are “in harmony with the attitude of the political wing.” The PASF says that since the 1st shooting on 8/31, they have detained 300 Hamas mbrs. Late in the evening, the IDF patrol in villages nr. Jericho, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Salfit, making no arrests; conducts arrest raids in Hebron (shooting and wounding 1 Palestinian, releasing him to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society) and neighboring al-‘Arub r.c. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish settlement nr. Ramallah stone Palestinian vehicles driving by the settlement. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo settlement nr. Ramallah stone Palestinian cars on the Ramallah–Nablus road. Unidentified Jewish settlers stone Palestinian vehicles driving nr. Nablus. PCHR reports that Israel’s Gihon Water Company recently sent letters to churches and nunneries in the Old City of Jerusalem warning that their water service will be cut off if they do not immediately pay water consumption fees accumulated since 1967; historically, religious establishments in Jerusalem have been exempt from such fees. (PCHR 9/2; WP 9/4; PCHR 9/8; OCHA 9/17)

The IDF reports that 2 explosive devices apparently targeting Israeli naval vessels exploded off the Israeli coast, causing no damage or injuries; no group takes responsibility. In the West Bank, the IDF makes an afternoon incursion into Bayt Umar village, searching 4 houses, but making no arrests; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at stonethrowing Palestinians and nonviolent international activists taking part in protests against the separation wall in Bil‘in (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); seals the entrances to Ni‘lin village so international activists cannot take part in weekly demonstrations against the separation wall there, then beats and fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at Palestinian protesters (several are injured); for a 2d time (see 1/22) fires rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinians holding a nonviolent protest march fr. the outskirts of Ramallah to their agricultural lands that are now within a closed military zone surrounding Halamish settlement (10s suffer tear gas inhalation). Jewish settlers acting on a 1/25 municipal court ruling occupy the 2d floor of a Palestinian home in Aqabat al-Saraya in Jerusalem. (NYT 2/3; OCHA, PCHR 2/4)

Israeli naval vessels off the n. Gaza coast fire on Palestinian fishing boats, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Ni‘lin. Jewish settlers fr. Brakha s. of Nablus attempt to raid nearby Iraq Burin village but are fended off by Palestinian residents; IDF troops intervene, firing rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinians to disperse them (injuring 1 Palestinian). Jewish settlers fr. Halamish nr. Ramallah uproot 15 nearby Palestinian olive trees. (OCHA 1/27; PCHR 1/28)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubbercoated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at stone-throwing Palestinians and nonviolent international (and, in the case of Bil‘in, Israeli) activists taking part in protests against the separation wall in Bil‘in and Ni‘lin (10s suffer tear gas inhalation at both sites); fires tear gas, stun grenades at Palestinian and international activists holding a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in al-Ma‘sara (no injuries reported); fires rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinians holding a nonviolent protest march fr. the outskirts of Ramallah to their agricultural lands that are now within a closed military zone surrounding Halamish settlement (4 are wounded); conducts latenight house searches in Ni‘lin, making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. (OCHA 1/27; PCHR 1/28)

Gaza’s border crossings remained sealed for a 3d day. The IDF fires warning shots at Palestinian farmers who stray nr. the Gaza border fence e. of Khan Yunis, seriously injuring 2 elderly Palestinians. The Israeli navy fires warning shots at fishermen to keep them close to shore. AMB mbrs. fire 2 rockets into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Hamas’s Gaza security chiefSiyam meets with heads of the various Gaza factions to discuss ways of reacting to IDF actions in the West Bank while respecting the Gaza cease-fire. Islamic Jihad pledges to coordinate its responses with Hamas. In the West Bank, the IDF makes an unusual daytime raid into Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron, setting up road blocks, checking IDs, raiding and searching homes, firing on stone-throwing youths who confront troops, killing a 16-yr.-old Palestinian boy, arresting 1 Palestinian; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus and Ramallah, nr. Bethlehem and Jenin, and outside East Jerusalem. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish nr. Ramallah burn a Palestinian olive tree. Nr. Jabaliya r.c., unidentified assailants detonate a bomb outside a fmr. PA Preventive Security officer’s home, causing damage but no injuries. (NYT, WT 6/27; MM 6/30; OCHA 7/2; PCHR 7/3)

The AMB fires 4 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Dahaysha r.c. in a car with Palestinian license plates to arrest a wanted Palestinian teenager; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm, nr. Tulkarm, and in and around Hebron, Nablus. Israel’s mayor of Jerusalem Uri Lupolianski suspends for review construction work at the Haram alSharif/Temple Mount, though Palestinians hold small protests, throw stones at the IDF during the day in and around East Jerusalem, Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Karnei Shomron and Ginat Shomron nr. Qalqilya prevent Palestinians from working their land nearby. Under IDF escort, Jewish settlers fr. Halamish nr. Ramallah uproot 50 olive trees in the Palestinian village of Dayr Nizam. In Gaza City, 200 family mbrs. of Palestinians held in Israeli jails demonstrate outside the PC headquarters, demanding that the PA do more to free their relatives. In Khan Yunis, unidentified assailants kidnap, quickly release unharmed fmr. PA atty. gen. Khalid al-Qidra. A Fatah mbr. injured during 1/29 ESF-Fatah clashes in Jabaliya r.c. dies. (MM 2/12; MM, NYT, WT 2/13; OCHA 2/14; PCHR 2/15)

Overnight, the IDF raids, imposes a curfew on Nur al-Shams r.c. and Tulkarm, fatally shoots Islamic Jihad West Bank military cmdr. Luay Saadi, Islamic Jihad mbr. Majid Askar in an apparent assassination; hrs. later, Islamic Jihad fires 5 rockets fr. Gaza into s. Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF responds with air and artillery strikes on open areas used for rocket launches in n. Gaza, causing no injuries; shelling fr. naval vessels at PA security forces sites in n. Gaza, causing no damage or injuries; ongoing mock air raids over Gaza, breaking the sound barrier to harass the population; closure of the Erez, Qarni crossings. During the day, the IDF also demolishes 2 stores nr. Jenin, claiming that they “could be used” to manufacture explosives; conducts arrest raids, house searches around Hebron for a 3d night, as well as nr. Jenin. A Palestinian gunman fires on an IDF post nr. Halamish settlement nr. Ramallah, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF returns heavy fire, killing a Palestinian bystander standing outside his home in neighboring Nabi Salih. (NYT, WP, WT 10/25; HA 10/25; PCHR 10/27)

The IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem, 6 agricultural storehouses (place not given); shells residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids nr. Tulkarm and in ‘Azun, Bethlehem, Burqin nr. Jenin, Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish nr. Ramallah uproot 5 d. of nearby Palestinian olive trees, destroy an irrigation network Jewish settlers handcuff, beat, leave unconscious a 70-yr.-old Palestinian nr. Tulkarm. (WAFA 7/25; OCHA 7/27; PCHR 7/28; IMEMC 7/29)