The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers blocked the main entrance to al-Naqura. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian man, alleging that he had tried to stab a soldier at the Gush Etzion Junction between Bethlehem and Hebron. The PA called it an extrajudicial execution. 9 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Kobar, Kafr Ni‘ma, Ni‘lin, Beita, Izbat al-Tabib, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces evicted the 18-member Salhiya family from their home in Sheikh Jarrah, leading to a standoff where members of the family threatened to blow up a gas container on top of the house if the Israeli forces proceeded to demolish their home. A large crowd protested in support of the family. Several European representatives to Palestine and Israel, with some present at the scene, also condemned the eviction and called on Israel to stop it immediately. 1 Palestinian demolished his own commercial structure in Sheikh Jarrah. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Gaza; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled land north of Beit Lahiya. Israeli forces also opened fire at agricultural lands east of al-Qarara; no injuries were reported. (+972, AJ, AJ, F24, HA, HA, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, REU, Twitter, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WP 1/17; EI, MEMO, MEMO 1/18; MEMO 1/19; PCHR 1/20)

Palestinian news outlet Safa and Israeli Channel 12 reported that the PA had frozen its work on preparing material for the ICC as a result of agreements made between PA president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz. (MEMO 1/18)

Israeli media reported that Libyan warlord and presidential contender Khalifa Haftar’s plane landed at Ben Gurion airport for a couple of hours before taking off again. In November it was reported that Haftar’s son and advisor Saddam Haftar had visited Israel for meetings with Israeli officials. (MEMO 1/17)

A possible drone attack in the UAE killed 3 Indian and Pakistani nationals and wounded 6 others at an oil facility and started a fire at the airport in Abu Dhabi. The Yemeni Houthi group said it was behind the attack. In a letter by Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, Israel offered the UAE “security and intelligence support” after the attack, saying “Israel stands with the UAE.” The UAE has been conducting air strikes with its coalition partner Saudi Arabia for years in Houthi-held areas of Yemen, causing many civilian deaths. (AJ, HA, MEMO 1/17; AJ, AJ, ALM, HA, MEMO, REU, REU 1/18; AJ, AP, MEMO 1/19; HA 1/20)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and critically wounded 1 Palestinian man at the Gush Etzion junction near Bethlehem, claiming that the man had tried to stab an Israeli soldier with a screwdriver; a video showed how Israeli soldiers prevented a medic from treating the Palestinian man. Israeli forces also demolished 1 parking lot near the separation barrier west of Deir al-Ghusun. 10 Palestinians were arrested during house raids, including 3 close relatives of 1 of the Palestinian prisoners who escaped the Gilboa prison on 9/6 in and around Abu Njeim, Aida refugee camp, Dheisheh refugee camp, al-Yamun, Kafr Dan, Qalqilya, Ni‘lin, and Jericho. In East Jerusalem, 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in al-Tur and Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled land near Beit Lahiya. In West Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and severely injured 1 Palestinian man from the West Bank after he stabbed 2 Jewish people near the Jerusalem central bus station; both stabbing victims were said to be in stable condition. (HA, HA, MEE, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/13; PCHR 9/16)

The Palestinian prisoner leadership said that 1,380 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails would go on hunger strike on 9/17 to protest the collective punitive measures introduced by Israel after 6 Palestinians escaped Gilboa prison on 9/6 (see 9/8). (HA, WAFA, WAFA 9/13; AJ, JP, PCHR 9/14)

After rumors that tips from Palestinians in Israel had led to the capture of 4 of the 6 Palestinians who escaped from Gilboa prison on 9/6, PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh called for national unity. Prime Minister Shtayyeh said that “[t]he occupation authorities are trying to divide us from our brothers, and we need to strengthen the connection.” Shtayyeh also called on the UN to ensure that the prisoners are not tortured as rumors were circulating that at least 1 of the prisoners had been subjected to severe torture, leading to hospitalization. (HA 9/13)

The PA instructed the Central Elections Committee to prepare for local council elections on 12/11. Political fractions in Gaza later rejected the elections after a meeting on the subject, saying that national election must precede local elections. (WAFA 9/14; MEMO 9/17; MEMO 9/21)

Israel’s prime minister Naftali Bennett and Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met in Sharm al-Shaykh. The 2 discussed a long-term Hamas-Israel ceasefire, Iran, Turkey, and Egypt’s crisis with Ethiopia. (AJ, HA, MEMO, REU 9/13; AJ, AP, AX, MEMO, MEMO 9/14 HA 9/15)

The New York Times detailed that a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency suggests that Iran is within 1 month of having enough material to build 1 nuclear warhead. It was also reported that manufacturing the warhead would take much longer. The reporting suggested that Iran was enriching the nuclear material to weapons grade to pressure the U.S. in the renewed Iran deal negotiations. (NYT 9/13; HA 9/14)