The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shoot and injure 7 Palestinians during a raid in al-Fara’a refugee camp. Israeli forces also injure 3 Palestinians during a raid in Arrabah, including with 1 live ammunition and 2 by assault. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raid a home where Palestinians are mourning the loss of their 3 relatives who were killed by Israeli forces on 1/12, firing bullets, tear gas, and sound bombs at the home in Hebron. Israeli forces also uproot streets during a raid in Jenin. Israeli forces arrest 15 Palestinians during late-night raids in Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jenin. In Gaza, the telecommunications outage that started on 1/12 continues, with internet and phone services cut off. Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Maghazi, Rafah, Gaza City, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 130 people, including 20 people in a home in Gaza City. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires rockets at Shtula near the Blue Line, damaging a building. Israeli forces conduct airstrikes in several areas in the southern part of the country. In Yemen, U.S. forces launch an airstrike on a Houthi radar site, the second U.S. strike on Yemen since 1/11. (NYT 1/12; AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/13; HA, NYT, UNOCHA 1/14)

More than 23,843 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 16,350 women and children, and around 60,317 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 340 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 86 children. More than 4,148 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 185 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,099 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 108 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing. The Gaza Ministry of Health says only 6 ambulances remain operational in all of Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 1/13; AJ, UNOCHA 1/14)

Hamas official Osama Hamdan thanks Qatar for sending medicine to Gaza, saying some of it will go to treatment of Israeli captives. Israel allowed the medicine to enter after Qatari mediation. (HA, REU 1/13)

The Wall Street Journal reports that Israel is considering seizing the Philadelphi Corridor by force and has informed Egypt of its intentions. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu later says that his government has not decided if it will seize the Egyptian-controlled area by force. Netanyahu also says in response to the ICJ case against Israel that “[n]o one will stop us. Not the Hague, not the Axis of Evil, no one.” (AJ, AP, HA 1/13; HA 1/16)

Israel’s Mossad and Shin Bet claim Hamas planned attacks on Jewish and Israeli targets abroad, including the Israeli embassy in Sweden. Denmark arrested several people said to be linked to Hamas in December after receiving information from the Mossad. (HA, HA 1/13)

U.S. senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) says President Joe Biden should distance himself from Prime Minister “Netanyahu and the horrific war he is waging against the Palestinian people.” (AJ 1/13)

Thousands of people demonstrate against Israel’s war on Gaza in many cities throughout the world, including at mass rallies in Washington D.C. and London. (AJ, AJ, AJ, WAFA 1/13; HA, WAFA 1/14)

A Jewish-Israeli civics teacher tells the Guardian that he was arrested and placed in solitary confinement in November after he mourned the killing of civilians in Gaza in Facebook posts. The man was also fired by the Petach Tikvah municipality for his posts. An Israeli court later overturns his dismissal, saying the municipality did not have justifiable cause. (GDN 1/13; HA 1/15)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling between Bethlehem and Hebron; 1 Palestinian child was injured by broken glass in his eye. Israeli settlers also uprooted dozens of Palestinian-owned olive saplings east of Yatta. Israeli forces opened fire at a vehicle with 5 Palestinians inside at a military checkpoint near Jenin, causing damage to the vehicle; no injuries were reported. 7 Palestinians were arrested in and around Hebron, Qalqilya, and Nablus; during a raid in Tammun, Israeli forces seized mobile phones, leading to confrontations with Palestinians; no injuries were reported. During a different raid in Sabastiyya, Israeli forces clashed with Palestinians, leading to tear-gas related injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces detained the secretary of Fatah in Jerusalem Yasser Darwish and banned him from entry to the West Bank for 3 months. 7 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Issawiyya, the Old City, and al-Tur. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands east of al-Shawka; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen within 4 nautical miles west of al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/8; WAFA 10/9; PCHR 10/15)

An Israeli court ruled that Israel can demolish 1 school east of Ramallah under the pretext that it was built without a permit. The school enrolls 50 students and was financed by donations from France, Finland, Luxembourg, Ireland, Spain, the UK, and Sweden. (WAFA 10/8; WAFA 10/9)

Secretary-general of the PLO Saeb Erakat said that he had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. (AJ, JP, TOI, WAFA 10/9)

Israel and Jordan signed a deal allowing airlines from each country to fly over each other’s airspace. (HA 10/8)

Lebanon’s former prime minister Saad Hariri, who resigned after prolonged protests at the end of 2019, said that he is a possible candidate to head the new Lebanese government. (REU 10/8; AJ 10/9)

The U.S. Trump administration announced new sanctions on Iran that effectively shuts off the country from the global financial system. The new sanctions are expected to halt flows of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid to Iran. (AJ, REU 10/8)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 2 rockets or mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (2 synchronized) in the evening; conducts late-night patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin and Jericho; and conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and Nablus, firing tear gas and stun grenades at stonethrowing youths who confront them in Nablus (causing no serious injuries). Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Kafr Qaddum, al-Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin. IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (al-Nabi Salih only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; a Palestinian child (al-Nabi Salih) and 1 Swedish activist (Kafr Qaddum) are moderately injured by tear gas canisters, and 1 Palestinian (Kafr Qaddum) is moderately injured by a rubber-coated steel bullet. (YA 7/28; 8/2; OCHA 8/3)

Pres. Obama signs into law the U.S.-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act, which calls for an unprecedented strengthening of military, intelligence, and technology cooperation intended to preserve Israel’s qualitative military edge. Experts describe the act as prescribing a ‘‘laundry list of security enhancements’’ for Israel (see QU in JPS 165 for details). (JTA, White House press release 7/27; WP 7/28, 7/30; Defense News 8/1)

Hamas acting PM in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh meets with Egyptian pres. Morsi in Cairo to discuss Fatah-Hamas reconciliation prospects and ways of further easing the siege of Gaza. (WP 7/28)

In a scathing 4-page letter, `Abid Rabbuh publicly announces his resignation as PA chief negotiator for the final status, revealing the secret Stockholm talks. (MENL 5/15; MENA 5/15 in WNC 5/16; MM, NYT, WT 5/16; AYM 5/16 in WNC 5/18)

U.S. special envoy Ross arrives in Israel fr. Stockholm, along with the new PA, Israeli final status teams. All parties refuse to comment on the success or failure of the Stockholm talks. The State Dept. does not even confirm or deny that Ross was in Sweden, says only that the PA and Israel "are talking to each other in different ways at different levels." (State Dept. daily press briefing 5/15; MM, NYT, WT 5/16; State Dept. daily press briefing, WT 5/17; al-Quds 5/17 in WNC 5/18)

Across the West Bank and Gaza, 1,000s of Palestinians commemorating the Nakba and protesting the stalled peace process and Israel continued detention of Palestinian prisoners clash with IDF troops and border police in the worst fighting since 9/96. 2 PA policemen and 1 Palestinian civilian are killed and 100s are injured by rubber bullets, live ammunition, and tear gas; 14 Israeli soldiers and police officers are also injured. Some exchanges of gunfire are btwn. PA police, Israeli security forces. Arafat, Barak are in contact via their advisers throughout the day, speak by phone in the evening. (LAW, MM 5/15; BDL, LAW, NYT, WP, WT 5/16; ITAR-TASS 5/15, MENA 5/16 in WNC 5/17; AYM, al-Quds 5/16 in WNC 5/18; WJW 5/18; MEI 5/19)

Despite clashes, the Israeli cabinet votes (15-6) to transfer 3 Palestinian villages outside Jerusalem (Abu Dis, Azariyya, Sawahara al-Sharqiyya) fr. area B to area A. Later in the day, the Knesset approves (56-48, with 1 abstention) the cabinet decision. Barak, however, says he will not turn over the villages until he receives an explanation fr. the PA for today's clashes in the territories. (MM 5/15; MENA 5/15 in WNC 5/16; MM, NYT, WP, WT 5/16; MM 5/17; WJW 5/18; MEI 5/19)

10,000s of Jewish settlers rally in Jerusalem's Zion Square to protest further territorial concessions to the Palestinians. The rally was planned by Shas last wk., before today's Knesset vote was announced. (MM 5/15; MM, NYT, WP 5/16; WJW 5/18)

In s. Lebanon, the IDF turns over its Taybiyya post to the SLA, marking the 1st step in a withdrawal fr. Lebanon. (MM, WT 5/17; NYT 5/18)