The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with a military escort raided Duma, setting cars on fire and attacking Palestinians. Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian with live ammunition who was trying to fend off the settlers. Israeli settlers also set fire to a tent near Kisan; the Palestinian couple who owned the tent were later reported missing. Elsewhere, an Israeli settler attempted to ram Palestinians on a street in Tuqu’. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling west of Jericho, causing damage. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian who allegedly attempted to ram soldiers at a checkpoint in Hebron using a tractor. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in al-Arroub refugee camp, killing a Palestinian and injuring 1 other with live ammunition. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed a funeral procession in Beit Umar, killing 1 person and injuring 5 with live ammunition and others with baton rounds and tear gas. Israeli forces also shot and injured 2 people with live ammunition and injured 12 others with tear gas in ‘Ayn Bus. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Huwwara, injuring 3 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters at the Jalamah checkpoint, injuring 2 with live ammunition. Separately, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in al-Bireh, injuring 1 with live ammunition and 3 with baton rounds. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters at a checkpoint near Beit Furik, causing tear-gas related injuries. 40 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm, Nablus, Salfit, Tubas, Qalqilya, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting in Isawiya, injuring 1 with live ammunition. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed nearly 200 Palestinians and caused widespread destruction. Near Gaza, Palestinian militants attacked Kibbutz Sa’ad and Kibbutz Be’eri; no injuries were reported. Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem, hitting targets around the city and in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, saying it was retaliation for Israeli attacks on civilian targets. Near the Blue Line, mortar shells were fired from Lebanon toward Israel; no injuries were reported. Israel also said it had 3 killed gunmen entering Israel from Lebanon; Hezbollah denied having an active operation into Israel. Islamic Jihad later claimed responsibility. Israel later fired artillery shells at Marwahin and used combat helicopters to attack South Lebanon, killing 5 members of Hezbollah. 3 Israeli soldiers were killed and 5 injured by forces in Lebanon. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, AP, HA, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/9; AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 10/10; HA 10/11)

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that as of 9:30 p.m. at least 687 Palestinians had been killed and 3,800 injured in Gaza, while 17 Palestinians, including 4 children, had been killed and 295 injured in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7. Israeli media reported more than 900 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 2,616 injured. Israel said it had hit 500 targets in Gaza overnight and 1,100 since 10/7. Hamas said Israeli airstrikes have killed 4 Israeli captives in Gaza. The UN reported that more than 187,518 Palestinians were displaced, including 137,427 sheltering in UNRWA facilities. 790 housing units were destroyed and 5,330 were damaged since 10/7. (AJ, ALM, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/9; ALM, AP 10/10)

The Israeli emergency rescue organization Zaka said that the bodies of 108 Israelis were found in Kibbutz Be’eri as were the bodies of Palestinian militants. Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the bodies of 70 militants were found in the town. (HA 10/10; AP 10/11)

Hamas’ Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Obaida said the Qassem Brigades would not negotiate the release of captives while Gaza was being bombarded. Earlier in the day Abu Obaida said Qassam Brigades would begin executing 1 Israeli captive each time Israel bombs a civilian target. There was no indication that the threat was carried out as civilian buildings were being bombed by Israel. Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk told Al Jazeera that Hamas is open to discussing a truce and all political dialogue. Hamas leader Ali Barakeh said only half a dozen members of Hamas planned the attack on Israel on 10/7 and none of its allies were informed but Hezbollah and Iran would join the battle if “Gaza is subject to a war of annihilation.” (AJ, REU, REU, REU 10/9; AJ, AP, HA 10/10)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman about the Hamas-Israel war. In a statement, bin Salman’s office said Saudi Arabia “continues to stand with the Palestinian people in their pursuit for their legitimate rights, striving for a dignified life, realizing their hopes and aspirations, and achieving a just and lasting peace.” (AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/9)

Israeli military spokesperson Hagari said Israel had regained control in all communities surrounding Gaza but that Palestinian militants still could be in the area. (HA 10/9)

Reuters reported that Qatar was mediating a prisoner exchange that will see Israeli women and children released by Hamas in exchange for the release of 36 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons. Egyptian sources also said that Egypt was in close contact with Israel and Hamas to prevent further escalation, calling on Israel to exercise restraint and Hamas to keep the captives in good condition. (HA, REU, REU 10/9; HA, HA 10/10; HA 10/11)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said that he had ordered that no power, water, food, or gas enters Gaza, saying “[w]e are fighting human animals and we act accordingly.” His office later said Gallant had ordered the intensity of the Gaza bombings to increase. Several Israeli politicians called for the formation of an emergency unity government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who said the emergency government should “bring about the complete elimination of Hamas and the terrorist organizations in Gaza.” Benny Gantz’s National Unity party demanded that Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir not be part of the war cabinet and that no legislation unrelated to the war would be promoted. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 10/9; AP 10/10)

Axios reported that Israeli prime minister Netanyahu told U.S. president Joe Biden that Israel will invade Gaza. The Washington Post reported that the U.S. is preparing for a prolonged war in Gaza and is assessing Israeli diplomatic, political, and military needs. The White House briefed members of Congress that Israel will need replenishment for the Iron Dome, ammunition rounds, precision-guided missiles, and small-diameter bombs. Biden said in a briefing that 11 U.S. citizens have been killed by Hamas and that there likely are U.S. captives being held in Gaza. The U.S. also said Iran was complicit in the Hamas attack and warned Iran about getting involved in the fighting. Iran denied any involvement or knowledge. (ALM, HA, HA, REU, REU 10/9; HA, REU, REU 10/10)

Egyptian officials said they had warned Israel about an imminent attack from Gaza. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office denied having received warnings. (HA 10/9)

President Erdoğan spoke to Israeli president Isaac Herzog, urging him to end indiscriminate attacks on Gaza. (AJ, ALM 10/9)

The UN Security Council convened a meeting on the situation in Gaza without releasing a statement. Secretary-General Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire and said 137,000 Palestinians were sheltering in UNRWA facilities. Guterres also said he was deeply distressed by Israel’s decision to prevent all power, food, and gas from entering Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 10/9; AJ, HA 10/10)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken deleted a tweet on X in which he said he “encouraged Turkey’s advocacy for a cease-fire.” The tweet was replaced by language that supported Israel’s “right to defend itself.” (HA 10/9)

Hungary, Bulgaria, and Poland evacuated hundreds of their own citizens and European and Israeli nationals from Israel. (HA, HA 10/9)

The U.S., Germany, the UK, France, and Italy issued a joint statement of support for Israel, saying the countries are coordinating to “ensure Israel is able to defend itself, and to ultimately set the conditions for a peaceful and integrated Middle East region.” (AP, REU 10/9; HA, HA 10/10)

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov condemned violence against Palestinians and Israelis and criticized the U.S. for its “destructive policy” of undermining the Quartet by monopolizing Israeli-Palestinian dialogue during a press conference with Arab League secretary-general Ahmed Aboul Gheit. (REU, WAFA 10/9)

The EU, Germany, and Austria said they suspended all aid to Palestinians in response to Hamas’ operation in Israel. None of the aid in question is delivered to Hamas. Later EU countries, including Ireland, France, Spain, and Luxembourg, objected to the EU Commission's decision and EU Crisis Management commissioner Janez Lanercic said the EU aid would continue. (AJ, HA, REU, REU, REU 10/9; AJ 10/10)

The Bank of Israel said it will sell $30 billion of foreign currency to maintain the shekel’s stability in light of the war with Hamas. The shekel had lost 10% of its value compared to the dollar in 2023 before the war. (AJ, ALM, HA, REU 10/9)

In the West Bank, armed Israeli settlers vandalized Palestinian vehicles south of Jericho. Israeli settlers also opened fire at Palestinian homes in Jalbun; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces shot and killed 5 Palestinian protesters in Hebron, Ramallah, Jericho, and Beita. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Aqraba, al-Bireh, Ramallah, Tuqu’, Huwwara, Qalqilya, al-Ram, and al-Arroub refugee camp, injuring 9 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters at the Qalandia checkpoint, killing 4 and injuring 9. In Gaza, Israeli forces continued bombing civilian targets, in some instances without warning, killing at least 200 people. Palestinian militants fired rockets at Israel and attacked Israelis on the ground near the Gaza fence, resulting in hundreds of casualties and causing damage. Near Gaza, Israeli forces shot and killed an Israeli citizen and shot and injured 4 Israeli soldiers and an Israeli citizen, mistaking them for Palestinians. Israeli forces also killed dozens of Palestinian militants trying to enter Israel by sea. Hamas said it had fighters in the Israeli towns of Ofakim, Sderot, Yad Modechai, Kfar Aza, Kibbutz Be’eri, Yeted, and Kissufim. In Safed, Israeli forces assaulted and arrested 11 Palestinian workers from Gaza before dropping them off in the West Bank at the Jalamah checkpoint. In Lebanon, Israeli forces opened fire at what Israel described as a Hezbollah tent and fired artillery shells after mortar shells were fired at Israel. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/8; AJ, HA, WAFA 10/9)

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that as of 8 p.m. at least 413 Palestinians had been killed and 2,300 injured in Gaza while 15 Palestinians had been killed and 191 injured in the West Bank since 10/7. Israeli sources reported more than 677 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 2,000 injured. The UN reported that more than 123,538 Palestinians were displaced, including 73,538 sheltering in UNRWA facilities. 159 housing units were destroyed and 1,210 were damaged since 10/7. Israel cut off water supplies, affecting 610,000 Palestinians. An Naseer Hospital, Al Quds Hospital, and 2 Palestinian Red Crescent Society facilities were targeted by Israeli airstrikes overnight. 3 UNRWA schools sheltering displaced Palestinians were damaged in Israeli airstrikes, raising the number of UNRWA schools targeted to 4. Egypt allowed 100 truckloads of food, 30 truckloads of fuel, and 70 truckloads of construction material to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing.  (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/8; UNOCHA 10/9)

In Egypt, an Egyptian police officer shot and killed 2 Israelis and an Egyptian at a tourist site in Alexandria. (AJ, AP, HA 10/8)

Israel claimed that 260 Israelis were killed by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants at a music festival near Gaza on 10/7. (AJ, HA 10/8; REU 10/10)

Israel ordered the evacuation of Israeli towns near Gaza, reportedly in preparation for a ground invasion of Gaza. (AJ 10/8; HA 10/10)

A Hamas official said the group was holding more than 100 Israelis captive in Gaza. Islamic Jihad said it was holding 30 Israelis captive in Gaza and that they would not be released unless they were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had reached out to Egypt to help facilitate hostage negotiations. (HA, HA, WSJ 10/8)

PA envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour said messages from the international community asserting Israel’s “right to defend itself will be interpreted by Israel as a license to kill.” The PA requested an emergency meeting of the Arab League. (HA 10/8; WAFA 10/9)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with the leaders of Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/8)

The Israeli security cabinet decided to halt all electricity, fuel, and goods from entering Gaza and to destroy Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities. (HA 10/7; AJ 10/8)

The U.S. State Department said that at least 4 U.S. citizens were killed in the Hamas operation against Israel on 10/7. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE for the second day in a row. Blinken said he spoke with Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan about not allowing the war to disrupt Saudi-Israeli normalization efforts. The U.S. also directed the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean to provide Israel with U.S. support. U.S. president Joe Biden spoke with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the second time in 2 days. (AJ, ALM, AP, HA, HA, HA 10/8; AP, HA, REU 10/9; ALM,  AP 10/10)

The UAE called on both sides to protect civilians and called the Hamas abduction of civilians “appalling.” (AJ, HA, REU, UAE 10/8)

Iran denied Wall Street Journal reporting, saying that it was not involved in the Hamas and Islamic Jihad operation in Israel but said “[w]e emphatically stand in unflinching support of Palestine.” (HA 10/8; AJ 10/8)

The IDF maintains, for a 2d day, the closure of Araqa where 2 Palestinians were killed on 2/14; declares it a closed military zone. They conduct raids in the village, arresting 2 Palestinians. Meanwhile, IDF troops conduct raids in al-Am‘ari r.c. nr. Ramallah, arresting 2 Palestinians and sparking clashes with stonethrowing and armed youths; 42 Palestinians and 1 Israeli soldier are injured. Late at night, they escort 17 busloads of Israelis to Joseph’s Tomb outside Nablus to perform religious rites, sparking more clashes with stone-throwers; there are no serious injuries. Israeli forces demolish 20 residential structures in a village nr. Nablus; deliver stop-work orders to 2 homes under construction in Qalqilya. Throughout the day, the IDF conducts raids and house searches in 2 villages each nr. Jenin and Salfit and 1 nr. Bethlehem, as well as in Qalqilya and Hebron, arresting 11 Palestinians and issuing an arrest summons to 1; patrols in 3 villages nr. Hebron and 1 nr. Tulkarm. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Gaza City, causing no damage. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. Meanwhile, the Egyptian authorities keep the Rafah border crossing open for a 3d and final day. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault and arrest a Palestinian youth outside the Old City after they search and find a knife on her person. They also arrest 1 Palestinian on a raid in Issawiyya. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 2/15; TOI 2/16; OCHA, PCHR 2/18)

Palestinian hunger striker al-Qiq refuses an Israeli court offer to transfer him from Emek Medical Center in Afula to a hospital in East Jerusalem, demanding to be treated at a Palestinian hospital in the West Bank. Al-Qiq has been on hunger strike since 11/24, days after he was captured from his Ramallah home and held under administrative detention. (MNA 2/16)

After 2 weeks of increasing tension and clashes in East Jerusalem over access at Haram al-Sharif, Israeli authorities ban male and female volunteer guards— murabitun and murabitat—from the sanctuary on the grounds that they disturb and intimidate Jewish visitors. Around 50 Palestinian women gather outside Haram al-Sharif in the morning to protest the Israeli restrictions on their access. Late at night, suspected right-wing Jewish activists spray racist graffiti on walls in the Old City and Israeli forces arrest 7 Palestinians on raids in al-Tur and Jabal Mukabir. In the West Bank, unknown assailants shoot and lightly injure an Israeli settler driving nr. Nablus. Later, Israeli settlers set fire to dozens of olive trees outside a nearby Palestinian village and Israeli forces block the entrances to the village and order a curfew. Separately, Israeli forces raze agricultural land and seize an irrigation network nr. Hebron. IDF troops conduct late-night house searches and raids nr. Jericho, Jenin, Tulkarm, and Bethlehem, arresting 4 Palestinians; patrol in al-‘Arub r.c and nr. Hebron. The Israeli authorities reopen a road nr. Ramallah that has been closed for 15 years (it was initially reported reopened on 5/25, but Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories [COGAT] delayed the opening to perform unspecified maintenance). Off Gaza’s coast nr. Rafah, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. Later, Israeli forces e. of Khan Yunis arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel. (HA, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA 9/9; PCHR, WAFA 9/10; PCHR 9/17; OCHA 9/18)

PNC pres. Zanoun announces that the PNC convention scheduled for 9/14–15 has been postponed in response to various Palestinian political groups’ requests for a delay and calls for a boycott. He says that a comm. comprising himself, the PLO Exec. Comm., and the heads of the various factions will meet to prepare to convene the PNC within 3 mos. (JP, MNA, WAFA 9/9)

UNRWA commissioner-gen. Pierre Krähenbühl reaches an agreement with the UNRWA employees union in Gaza to end the recent protests over reductions in agency services. The union went on strike for a week on 8/24, then agreed to return to work on 8/31 in exchange for a tentative agreement to limit class sizes. (MNA 9/9)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces bar 3 Palestinian journalists from entering Haram al-Sharif while right-wing Jewish activists tour the sanctuary. Meanwhile, Israeli police and Palestinian youths clash for the 3d day in a row, in Issawiyya, injuring a Palestinian child. In Gaza, a Palestinian youth is seriously injured when he accidentally detonates an unexploded Israeli munition in Shuja‘iya. Israeli forces level land during a limited incursion e. of Rafah. In the West Bank, Israeli forces raze Palestinian land nr. Bethlehem and block off an agricultural road in a nearby village. IDF troops conduct house searches and raids nr. Jenin, Tulkarm, and Hebron, arresting 5 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 1; patrol in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron and nr. Salfit. Israeli settlers assault 3 Palestinians outside a settlement nr. Nablus. In Israel, 3 Jewish Israelis assault a Palestinian in Dayr Yasin nr. Jerusalem. (MNA, WAFA 9/8; JP, MNA 9/9; PCHR 9/10; OCHA 9/18; WAFA 10/1)

For the 2d day in a row, unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Jericho, nearby ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. and Fasayil village, and 3 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning; and in Jenin in the afternoon. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Tulkarm. 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 in Bil‘in is moderately injured by a rubber-coated steel bullet; 3 Palestinians (including a child) are hit by tear gas canisters in Kafr Qaddum; and 3 internationals and 1 Palestinian are arrested. In addition, tear gas canisters and percussion grenades spark a brush fire in Kafr Qaddum, destroying 20 Palestinian olive trees. (TOI 6/6; PCHR 7/12; OCHA 7/13)

Debate over moving toward a universal draft threatens to split Netanyahu’s newly expanded coalition. UltraOrthodox groups, angry over calls to remove their exemption from service based on religious reasons, raise the issue of service waivers for Palestinian citizens of Israel. The 2002 Tal Law exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews engaged in religious studies was invalidated by the High Court in 2/2012 and is set to expire at the end of 7/2012. (NYT 6/30)

Israel’s Housing Min. publishes tenders for the construction of 171 housing units in Gilo and Pisgat Ze’ev settlements in East Jerusalem. IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Bureij r.c. catch and arrest 3 Palestinians (including 2 teenagers) attempting to sneak into Israel to find work. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages each nr. Ramallah and Salfit in the morning; and in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm and 1 each nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah late at night. 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; 5 Palestinians are lightly injured by tear gas canisters (4 in Kafr Qaddum, including a child; 1 in Bil‘in). (PCHR 7/5; OCHA 7/13)

UNESCO’s World Heritage Comm. approves (13–6) a Palestinian request to place Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on its list of world heritage sites at risk because of its urgent need for repairs. The U.S. strongly opposed the request, stating the church was not imperiled. Israel denounces the vote, saying, ‘‘UNESCO is motivated by political and not cultural considerations.’’ (WP 6/30)

Three unidentified assailants cross into Israel from Egypt and plant a roadside bomb that they detonate when 2 vehicles pass carrying laborers who are working to build Israel’s new border fence; they then open fire on the vehicles with automatic weapons and rocketpropelled grenades; 1 Israeli Palestinian worker is killed. Israeli border police respond to the scene and exchanges fire with the infiltrators, leaving 2 assailants dead and 4 policemen injured. The 3d assailant escapes back into Egypt; Israeli units do not pursue him. (NYT, WP 6/19; NYT 6/20; JPI 6/29)

In actions Israel says are unrelated to the attack from Egypt, the IDF carries out 2 air strikes on n. Gaza: 1 targets a Palestinian sniper team that fired across the Gaza border into Israel (causing no damage or injuries), killing 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs.; the other targets Palestinians who attempted but failed to fire a rocket into Israel, killing 1 IQB mbr. and 1 al-Aqsa Guards Group mbr. Late at night, IDF troops on the c. Gaza border fatally shoot 2 Palestinians (1 a teenager) attempting to sneak into Israel to find work. Meanwhile, IDF troops make a brief incursion into n. Gaza nr. Bayt Hanun to level land and clear lines of sight. Israeli naval vessels fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats off the n. and c. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Jericho in the morning; and in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the evening. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and Tulkarm, and nr. Jenin. (JP 6/18; NYT, WP 6/19; NYT 6/20; PCHR 6/21; OCHA 6/22; JPI 6/29)

The Israel Project, a Washingtonbased pro-Israel group, hosts a debate between foreign policy advisers to Pres. Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, covering numerous issues including Iran, Syria, military aid, and Obama’s commitment to Israel. Romney advisers accuse Obama of failing to support Israel and of being more concerned with preventing Israel from attacking Iran than halting Iran’s nuclear program. Obama adviser Robert Wexler calls Obama’s ‘‘degree of military and strategic support [to Israel] unparalleled,’’ emphasizing that the Obama admin. worked strenuously behind the scenes to ensure there has not been a UN vote on Palestinian statehood since the Palestinians launched their UN statehood bid in 9/2011. (WJW 6/21)

In Lebanon, clashes erupt at the funeral for a Palestinian refugee slain by Lebanese troops outside Nahr al-Barid r.c. on 6/15, leaving 1 Palestinian dead and 7 Palestinians and 3 Lebanese soldiers injured. The clashes spread to ‘Ayn al-Hilwa r.c. in Sidon, where at least 1 Palestinian is killed and 3 Palestinians and 3 Lebanese soldiers are injured. Demonstrations (but no clashes or injuries) are reported in Biddawi r.c. nr. Tripoli and Shatila r.c. in Beirut. (JAZ 6/18)

Unidentified assailants fire 2 Grad rockets from the Egyptian Sinai into Israel, striking n. of Elat, causing no damage or injuries. No group takes responsibility. (HA 6/16, 6/17)

The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Jenin and Qalqilya in the morning; in Qalqilya and Tulkarm in the afternoon (stopping to harass PA security officers manning a checkpoint in Qalqilya); and in al-Nabi Salih and 1 village nr. Jenin late at night. 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), rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 1 Palestinian cameraman is moderately wounded by a rubber-coated steel bullet in al-Nabi Salih, and 3 Palestinians are hit by tear gas canisters in Kafr Qaddum. (PCHR 6/21; OCHA 6/22)

Nr. Tripoli, Lebanon, Palestinian refugees surround and throw stones at Lebanese soldiers who attempt to block a Palestinian from bringing a motorcycle into Nahr al-Barid r.c. The soldiers open fire on the crowd, killing 1 Palestinian and wounding another. (WP 6/16)

The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Tulkarm during the day; and in 1 village nr. Jenin and 1 nr. Ramallah late at night. The IDF also halts construction of a mosque in Yatta village nr. Hebron. 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, and al-Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (al-Nabi Salih only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; no serious injuries are reported. (PCHR 6/14; OCHA 6/15)

The House votes down (185–233) a Democratic procedural motion concerning the energy appropriations bill that would have provided an additional $1 m. to the $2 m. already proposed for the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation programs for FY 2013 (see QU in JPS 164). The vote fell along party lines, with Republicans defeating the motion, accusing Democrats of adding money that Israel had not requested to deflect attention from their last minute inclusion of funding for pork barrel projects sought by Democratic constituents. Analysts noted (Jewish Telegraphic Agency [JTA] 6/8) that this was ‘‘at least the fourth attempt this Congress by Democrats to add pro-Israel language to a bill at the last minute’’ in order to push through approval. (JTA 3/8)

In Hebron, a knife-wielding Palestinian attempts to attack IDF soldiers posted outside the al-Ibrahimi Mosque/ Cave of the Patriarchs but is shot and seriously wounded. The IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Jenin, Jericho, and Tulkarm in the morning; in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm in the afternoon; and in Jericho, al-Nabi Salih, Tubas, and another 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Jenin, Jericho, and Tulkarm late at night. (PCHR 6/7; OCHA 6/8)

Reuters reports that the PA security forces (PASF) have launched a campaign to crack down on ‘‘lawlessness and the proliferation of weapons’’ in Jenin that continues into mid-7/2012 at least. Responding to a wave of drive-by shootings and increased drug trafficking, the PASF makes nightly arrest raids. Among those reportedly arrested are ‘‘rogue’’ members of the security forces who have been exploiting their positions to organize and direct illegal activity. (REU 6/4; PCHR 7/19)

U.S. Treasury undersecy. for terrorism and financial intelligence David Cohen briefs Israeli officials in Israel on U.S. plans to impose additional bilateral sanctions on Iran if the current restrictions do not convince Iran to take positive steps on the nuclear front. (WJW 6/7)

The IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 1 nearby village at night; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Dahaysha r.c. 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 (nr. Qalqilya), al-Nabi Salih, and Nuba (nr. Ramallah). IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (al-Nabi Salih only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 5 Palestinians are hit by tear gas canisters in Kafr Qaddum. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar set fire to a large wooded area and crop lands in ‘Urif village. Hours later, the same settlers set fire to another plot of Palestinian crop land n. of ‘Urif; as local Palestinians come to put out the blaze, the fleeing settlers grab, handcuff, and shoot in the abdomen 1 Palestinian, seriously wounding him; the IDF observes but does not intervene until the shooting, at which point soldiers step in to halt the violence. (PCHR 5/31; OCHA 6/1)

The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Qalqilya in the morning; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya at midday, detaining 3 Palestinian teenagers for throwing stones at IDF patrols; conducts late-night patrols in Tulkarm and 1 village nr. Jericho; and conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, al-Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin (all nr. Ramallah). IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (al-Nabi Salih only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 3 Palestinians (including 2 teenagers) and 1 foreigner are injured. (PCHR 5/23; OCHA 5/25)

Israeli and Palestinian officials confirm that discussions are underway for a high-level meeting between Israeli PM Netanyahu and PA PM Salam al-Fayyad after Passover ends on 4/13. Fayyad plans to hand Netanyahu a letter from Abbas, which in its current draft includes Palestinian conditions for a return to negotiations (including Israel halting settlement expansion and accepting 1967 lines the basis for talks) and an enumeration of Israeli actions that the Palestinians find counterproductive to peace. (NYT 4/5)

Israeli security forces evict Jewish settler families fr. a house in Hebron that they occupied ca. 4/2/12. Meanwhile, Netanyahu calls on Israel’s atty. gen. to “find a solution” for the unauthorized outpost of Ulpana (which he terms a neighborhood of Beit El settlement) in Hebron that an Israeli court ordered demolished by 5/1/12. He also says that he plans to convene a meeting with DM Barak to seek the permits retroactively to legalize 3 other unauthorized settlement outposts (Bruchin, Rachelim, and Sansanna). Separately, Israel’s Housing Min. issues bids for construction of 800 new settlement housing units in Har Homa settlement in East Jerusalem. (NYT, PCHR, WT 4/5; OCHA 4/13)

Israel allows a small shipment of diesel fuel for Gaza’s power plant allowing 1 turbine to restart for the 1st time since 3/25/12, but rolling blackouts remain up to 16 hrs./day across the Strip. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire into the abandoned Erez industrial zone late at night, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning and another late at night; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Kafr Qaddum (arresting 20) and nr. Tulkarm. (PCHR 4/5; PCHR 4/12)

Early in the morning, the IDF drops leaflets from helicopters over n. Gaza border areas nr. Bayt Lahiya warning that the IDF will use deadly force against anyone approaching the border fence. Late at night, IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire on residential areas of Khan Yunis, damaging a house but causing no injuries. On the Rafah border, 1 Palestinian is killed and 2 are injured in a smuggling tunnel collapse. In the West Bank, Israel’s Shin Bet arrests 13 Palestinians fr. al-Am’ari r.c. (including 2 Palestinian Red Crescent Society employees, the goalie of Palestine’s Olympic soccer team, and a senior PA intelligence officer) for plotting a series of attacks on IDF soldiers nr. Ramallah, claiming that the prominent mbrs. of the group intended to use their status to perpetrate attacks. The IDF seals off a plot of land in the al-Ja’wana area Bayt Furik village (nr. Nablus), confiscating 6 tents and 2 water tanks belonging to local Palestinians; patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (synchronized) and 1 nr. Qalqilya in the morning; patrols in 3 villages nr. Jenin, Qalqilya, and Ramallah in the afternoon; and conducts late-night patrols in 1 village nr. Tulkarm. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya and nr. Nablus. A Palestinian shot during an arrest raid nr. Ramallah on 3/26 dies of his injuries. (OCHA, PCHR 4/5; JPI 4/13)

The IDF issues an eviction order to several Jewish settler families who moved into a house in Hebron, near the al-Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs, several days ago that they claim to have purchased fr. the Palestinian owner (who claims the deeds were forged). The IDF cites the settlers for failing to secure the proper permits from the Israeli military to reside in the West Bank, calling their presence “a risk to public order,” and ordering them to vacate the building by 3:00 p.m. local time on 4/3. (NYT 4/4, 4/5)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF raids and searches the home of a PASF officer in Qalqilya in the morning, confiscating several cell phones; patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Qalqilya in the morning and in 1 village in Qalqilya in the afternoon; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron; conducts latenight patrols in Tulkarm and 1 village nr. Jenin. 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, and al-Ma’sara nr. Bethlehem; demonstrations in Bil’in also call for solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, causing no reported injuries; 2 Palestinians are arrested. Jewish settlers fr. Esh Kodesh settlement nr. Nablus uproot 220 olive trees on a nearby plot of Palestinian land. (YA 3/16; PCHR 3/22; OCHA 3/23)

Obama and Netanyahu meet at the White House to discuss Iran. Obama reiterates that the U.S. wants time for diplomacy to work but has left all options, including a military strike, on the table. He also says that Israel has the right to act in its own national interests. Afterward, Netanyahu tells a cheering AIPAC audience that sanctions have done nothing to slow Iran’s progress toward achieving a nuclear weapon and warns that time for diplomacy is running out. Observers say (WP 3/6) Obama’s statement “could easily be considered green light for Israeli action. And if Obama is flashing a green light, Israel’s advocates in Congress are waving a starter’s flag.” (NYT, WT 3/6; MA, Raidió Teilifís Éireann, REU, WJW 3/8; OCHA 3/9)

After 6 mos. of negotiation with the UN, Israel permits the 1st 2 truckloads of Palestinian exports to the West Bank (date bars for distribution to needy children through the UN’s World Food Program) since the beginning of the siege in mid-2007; the UN notes that this does not mark the resumption of regular trade between Gaza and the West Bank. The IDF patrols in `Ayn al-Sultan r.c. and 2 villages nr. Jericho, 3 villages nr. Jenin, and 2 nr. Qalqilya during the date; patrols in Tulkarm town and r.c., 2 nearby villages late at night; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron (including Bayt Umar) and Nablus. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights notes (3/8) that 45 Bayt Umar residents (including 20 children) have been arrested by the IDF since 1/1/2012. Dozens of Palestinians march to the IDF’s Atara checkpoint outside Ramallah to mark the 2d anniversary of the death of a local Palestinian family when a IDF jeep collided with their taxi; IDF troops at checkpoint fire tear gas and stun grenades at the marchers who respond by throwing stones; during the exchange, an IDF soldier fires a tear gas canister at a Palestinian teenager 20 meters away, hitting him in the head and fracturing his skull, critically injuring him. (PCHR 3/8)

Abbas asks Arab League FMs meeting in Cairo to support his decision not to resume direct peace talks without an Israeli settlement freeze and firm understandings on the basis of talks (including 1967 lines as the basis of final borders). He says he will put his demands in a letter to Netanyahu and if the response is not favorable, he will resume statehood efforts at the UN. (JP, NHR, YA 2/12; WP, WT 2/13)

An Israeli naval vessel detains a Palestinian fishing boat off the n. Gaza shore, arresting 2 fishermen and confiscating their boat. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin and 1 nr. Ramallah in the morning; in Tulkarm (randomly stopping and questioning people on the street) and 2 villages nr. Qalqilya and Salfit in the afternoon; and in Jericho, neighboring ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c., 2 villages nr. Qalqilya (detaining 3 Palestinian policemen until the local District Coordination Office intervenes to free them), and 1 each nr. Jenin and Salfit (firing percussion grenades to intimidate residents) late at night. The IDF also raids a carpentry workshop nr. Qalqilya in the morning, interrogating workers but making no arrests; and conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya and Tulkarm. (PCHR 2/16; OCHA 2/17)

Haniyeh meets with Iran’s Pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. Khamenei urges Hamas to keep up resistance to Israel and says it is the “duty” of Iran and all Muslims to support the Palestinians. (WT 2/13)

PA Pres. Abbas meets with Quartet special envoy Blair in Jordan before leaving for Cairo to meet with Arab League FMs. Blair urges Abbas to continue low-level talks on borders; says he has urged Israel to make goodwill gestures to revive talks, including easing security restrictions in the West Bank and releasing prisoners. (UPI, WAFA 2/11; YA 2/12)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In response, Israeli warplanes make 4 late-night air strikes on s. Gaza, targeting an open area nr. al-Shuka and 3 Palestinian homes in Gaza City, al-Qarara, and Rafah (suspected weapons depots and entrances to smuggling tunnels), killing 1 Palestinian civilian, wounding another, and causing heavy damage. The IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 2 villages nr. Jenin in the morning; patrols in another 2 villages nr. Jenin in the afternoon (in 1 instance firing tear gas and stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them); conducts late-night patrols in 1 village each nr. Jenin, Jericho, Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Tulkarm; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah. Palestinian students at Birzeit University hold a nonviolent march to Israel’s Ofer prison nr. Ramallah to show support for hunger-striking Islamic Jihad prisoner Khader Adnan; IDF troops outside the prison fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at the protesters who reply with stones; 4 journalists and several protesters are lightly injured. Jewish settlers fr. Susia settlement in Hebron attack 6 Palestinians planting almond trees on a 20-d. plot nearby (moderately injuring them) and uproot the newly planted seedlings; the IDF observes but does not intervene. (JP 2/11, 2/12; PCHR 2/16; OCHA 2/17)

Fatah PA pres. Abbas and Hamas leader Mishal end 2 days of talks in Qatar on forming by Fatah-Hamas consensus a transitional government of independent technocrats with a limited mandate to take the Palestinians to new presidential and parliamentary elections and to lead reconstruction of Gaza, as agreed under the 5/2011 national unity deal. To overcome international concerns about Hamas’s participation and differences between Fatah and Hamas regarding who should serve as PM (Hamas strongly opposed current PA PM Salam al-Fayyad), the sides agree that Abbas would lead the transitional government, serving as both pres. and PM. They stress that the new government “will be a technical one more than a political one” and that diplomacy will rest with the PLO. A meeting of all Palestinian factions is set for 2/18 to endorse the plan. Israeli PM Netanyahu immediately denounces Abbas for “joining forces with the enemies of peace.” The EU and U.S. say they look forward to continuing their support of the PA, provided the new government is committed to the Quartet principles of nonviolence, recognition of Israel, and adherence to existing peace agreements. (NYT, WP 2/6; AP, NYT, WP 2/7; see also MNA 2/5)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In response, Israeli warplanes make late-night air strikes on open areas nr. the Gaza border n. of Bayt Hanun, causing no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 nr. Salfit; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm and nr. Jenin and Nablus. Just outside East Jerusalem nr. al-Tur, Israeli border police and an undercover unit bulldoze 20 d. of Palestinian land, demolishing 2 walls, 3 natural caves, and a water network supplying several Palestinian homes. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba settlement in Hebron escorted by IDF troops begin planting trees on 150 d. of nearby Palestinian agricultural land that the IDF previously declared a closed military zone. (PCHR 2/9; OCHA 2/10)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Jericho, neighboring ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c., and 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning; 2 villages nr. Jericho and Ramallah in the afternoon; and 2 villages nr. Jenin and 1 nr. Ramallah late at night. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches, and interrogations in and around Qalqilya, and nr. Hebron, Jenin (arresting senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Usama Shalabi), and Tulkarm. Israeli municipal authorities in Jerusalem post notices signaling the planned implementation of a 9/2011 decision to confiscate 13 d. East Jerusalem property in Wadi al-Juz located between Hebrew University and the Palestine Archaeological Museum; the decision would displace 170 Palestinian stores employing some 700 workers. (OCHA, PCHR 1/5)

A bill proposed by MK Danny Danon passes in the Knesset requiring that any Palestinian prisoner granted early release by the president who commits another crime (misdemeanor or felony) be rearrested and made to serve the remainder of his or her original sentence. (JPI 1/13)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers working their land nr. the border fence, forcing them to flee. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts daytime patrols in Tulkarm, 2 villages nr. Jenin, and 1 nr. Ramallah; conducts late-night patrols in 1 village nr. Qalqilya; conducts other late-night arrest raids nr. Hebron. The IDF also conducts late-night raids on the homes (in al-Nabi Salih and 2 nr. Ramallah) of 3 Palestinians released in the Shalit prisoner swap, summoning them for questioning. (PCHR 11/17; OCHA 11/18)

The IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 2 villages nr. Jericho and Ramallah in the morning; conducts 2 sets of synchronized late-night patrols in Tulkarm and 4 villages to the north, and in 6 villages west of Jenin; conducts other latenight patrols in Qalqilya. The weekly demonstrations by Palestinians and international activists in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and al-Nabi Salih support the Palestinian statehood bid at the UN, call for national reconciliation, and oppose Israeli occupation and land seizures. Palestinians and international activists in Kafr Qaddum denounce Israeli land seizures. In all 4 cases, IDF soldiers fire rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 2 Palestinians in al-Nabi Salih; 1 Palestinian in al-Nabi Salih is arrested. (PCHR 11/17; OCHA 11/18)

In a rare interview with Israeli TV, Abbas states, “It was our mistake. . . . It was an Arab mistake as a whole” to reject the 1947 UN partition plan to divide historic Palestine into a Jewish and a Palestinian state. (NYT 10/29)

The IDF conducts daytime patrols in Tulkarm and 1 nearby village, Dura nr. Hebron (firing percussion grenades and unleashing attack dogs to chase off stone-throwing youths; 1 dog attacks a man outside his home, moderately injuring him), 2 villages nr. Jenin, and 1 nr. Ramallah; conducts late-night patrols in Beitunia nr. Ramallah. The weekly demonstrations by Palestinians and international activists in Bil‘in for a 4th week express solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, calling for the release of Fatah’s Barghouti and the PFLP’s Sa‘adat. In al-Nabi Salih and Ni‘lin, Palestinians and international activists rally in support of the Palestinian statehood bid at the UN. Demonstrations by Palestinians in Kafr Qaddum protest Israeli land seizures. In all 4 cases, IDF soldiers fire rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 1 Palestinian in Bil‘in. (PCHR 11/3; OCHA 11/4)

Israel approves formal plans to build an entirely new 2,610-unit Jewish settlement, Givat Hamatos, in southern East Jerusalem with the aim of completely dividing Jerusalem from Bethlehem. The IDF conducts synchronized afternoon patrols in the same 2 villages northeast of Jenin they patrolled on 10/13, synchronized late-night patrols in 6 villages btwn. Jenin and Tulkarm, and separate late-night patrols in Jenin (shooting in the air to intimidate residents). The weekly demonstrations by Palestinians and international activists in Bil‘in express solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, calling for the release of Fatah’s Barghouti and the PFLP’s Sa‘adat. In Ni‘lin and al-Nabi Salih, Palestinians and international activists rally in support of the Palestinian statehood bid at the UN. In all 4 cases, IDF soldiers beat and fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, but no significant injuries are reported. Jewish settlers fr. Gil’ad settlement nr. Qalqilya escorted by IDF troops stop a Palestinian family fr. harvesting olives on their land, saying they had exceeded the time allocated by the IDF for the harvesting. (NYT 10/15; PCHR, WJW 10/20; OCHA 10/21; PCHR 10/27; WJW 11/6)

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Tulkarm in the morning and in 2 villages nr. Jenin and 1 nr. Qalqilya late at night; conducts afternoon arrest raids nr. Bethlehem. The weekly demonstrations by Palestinians and international activists in Bil‘in and Bayt Umar express solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails on a hunger strike for better conditions, in Bil‘in calling specifically for the release of Fatah’s Marwan Barghouti and the PFLP’s Ahmad Sa‘adat. In Ni‘lin and al-Nabi Salih, Palestinians and international activists rally in support of the Palestinian statehood bid at the UN. In all 4 cases, IDF soldiers beat and fire rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 1 British activist and arresting 1 Palestinian, both in Bayt Umar. (PCHR 10/13; OCHA 10/14)

Abbas addresses the UNGA and officially submits the papers requesting full UN member-state status. UN secy.-gen. Ban Ki-Moon immediately sends the application to the UNSC. Rotating UNSC head, Lebanese amb. Nawaf Salam, says he will distribute it to UNSC mbrs. on 9/26. (NYT, WP, WT 9/24)

Netanyahu also addresses the UNGA session, calling on Abbas to resume talks immediately in New York, again without giving details on the basis or goal of talks. (WP 9/24) Within 3 hrs. of Abbas’s speech, the Quartet issues a vague statement calling on Israel and the Palestinians to return to talks within a month, with the objective of reaching a final agreement within a year. While Quartet special envoy Blair heralds this as “breakthrough,” UN and U.S. officials say the idea is to delay UNSC consideration of the Palestinian application to the UN on the assumption that if talks are “underway and making progress,” the UNSC would put off a vote in hopes that the parties could reach negotiated agreement. (State Dept. press release 9/23; NYT, WP, WT 9/24)

In the West Bank, 1,000s of Palestinians gather in Ramallah’s Clock Tower Square after dark to watch Abbas’s UN address televised live and celebrate the application for statehood. Similar rallies are held across the West Bank, but are banned in Gaza by Hamas authorities, who are angry that Abbas did not consult with Hamas over the process. Observers note (e.g., NYT, WP 9/24) that the “festive mood was tempered with resentment at . . . Obama’s firm stance against the initiative.” One Palestinian on the street states (WP 9/24): “We are choking on the American double standard. America supported the movements for freedom in Egypt, Tunis, Libya and Yemen, but this stops when it comes to the Palestinian people. We are asking, why?” During the day, the regular weekly protest against the separation wall in Bil‘in, al-Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin are turned into rallies in support of the UN statehood initiative; in al-Nabi Salih, Palestinian demonstrators burn Israeli flags and posters of Obama. Similar small rallies are held at Qalandia r.c. The IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and percussion grenades at the demonstrators, causing no serious injuries. (NYT, WP 9/24; PCHR 9/29; OCHA 9/30)

Meanwhile, nr. Kiryat Arba settlement in Hebron, a Palestinian boy is killed in a hit-and-run by a vehicle with Israeli plates. Later in the day in the same area, a Jewish settler man and his infant son, residents of Kiryat Arba, die in a car crash; the IDF says it was an accident, but local settlers accuse the army of covering up a murder, claiming that vengeful local Palestinians stoned the vehicle causing it to crash. The IDF denies the claims and expresses concern that settlers are attempting to provoke violence on the eve of Abbas’s UN speech. Meanwhile, unarmed Palestinians patrolling the outskirts of Qusra village in the n. West Bank (subject of numerous recent attacks by Jewish settlers fr. Esh Kodesh outpost) throw stones at a group of armed Jewish settlers that try to enter the village, sparking a clash; the IDF intervenes, firing tear gas and live ammunition at the Palestinians, killing 1 Palestinian and wounding 7. The IDF also patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and Salfit in the morning, in Jericho in the afternoon, and in al-Bireh, 2 villages nr. Salfit, and 1 nr. Tulkarm late at night. (NYT, WP 9/24; PCHR 9/29)

In Doha, PA pres. Mahmud Abbas meets with Arab League FMs and Arab League secy.-gen. Nabil Elaraby to discuss plans to seek recognition of Palestinian statehood at the UN in 9/2011. Abbas meets on the sidelines with U.S. asst. secy. of state Jeremy Feltman. (WAFA 8/23)

The IDF carries out a late-night drone missile strike on a car nr. Rafah, assassinating the head of Islamic Jihad’s military wing Isma’il Asmar, injuring a girl nearby. Islamic Jihad responds by firing 4 Qassam rockets and several mortars into Israel, lightly wounding an Israeli infant. (Egyptian officials say that a Palestinian rocket fired fr. Rafah landed on the Egyptian side of the border, in Egyptian Rafah, injuring 1 woman.) Israel responds with 2 drone missile strikes on a suspected rocket-launching team nr. Dayr al-Balah, wounding 2 armed Palestinians. In the West Bank, IDF soldiers enter Tulkarm, randomly stopping Palestinians and checking their IDs; conduct late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Bet Ayn nr. Hebron uproot 10s of olive and plum trees on nearby Palestinian land. The Israeli High Court rejects an appeal by residents of al-Walaja who challenged the separation wall route on the grounds that it would cut off the village from Bethlehem, holding that the residents did not prove that the planned route would severely harm the village. (JP, JTA, WAFA, WP, WT 8/24; PCHR, WP 8/25; OCHA 8/26; PCHR 10/27)

Egypt reopens the Rafah crossing as planned, permitting most Palestinians to cross freely for the first time in 4 yrs. (men ages 18–40 are the only group required to secure visas to enter Egypt). Unidentified Palestinians fire a homemade Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel for the 1st time since 4/18, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF bars Palestinian farmers fr. working their land nr. Bet Ayn settlement nr. Hebron; conducts late-night patrols in Bil‘in, sounding sirens and firing stun and flash grenades to intimidate residents; conducts late-night patrols without incident in Qalqilya; makes late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Aqabat Jabir r.c. nr. Jericho and Nur Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm. The IDF also fires tear gas, stun grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists staging a nonviolent march through Iraq Burin village nr. Nablus to nearby Brakha settlement to protest the settlers’ seizure of village lands to expand the settlement; 3 internationals are arrested. (AFP 5/28; MNA, NYT, WP 5/29; PCHR 6/2; OCHA 6/3)

In Qatar, Abbas briefs Arab League FMs on the recent speeches by Obama and Netanyahu. The FMs agree to support the Palestinians’ UN statehood bid in absence of a viable alterative. Abbas then goes to Cairo to brief Egypt’s acting government. (REU, WAFA 5/28; MENA 5/30)

On the anniversary of the Nakba, 1,000s of Palestinians fr. the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria stage marches (mostly nonviolent, though some stone throwing) toward the Israeli border. In Lebanon, though troops, riot police, and UNIFIL soldiers deploy to prevent marchers fr. reaching the border, a large group succeeds in reaching the border fence nr. Hizballah-controlled Maroun al-Ras village, where they throw stones at IDF troops. IDF troops open fire into Lebanon, leaving 10 Palestinians dead and at least 112 wounded. Palestinians refugees marching fr. Syria knock down the border fence into the Golan Heights, enter the Druze village of Majdal Shams, and rally in the village square, erecting Palestinian flags. IDF troops open fire to drive them back across the border, killing 4 Palestinians and wounding around 200. On the border with Jordan, Jordanian troops fired tear gas and scuffle with some 800 Palestinians, preventing them fr. reaching the border, leaving 14 demonstrators and 3 police officers lightly injured. In Egypt, govt. forces reinforce their border, preventing some 250 Palestinians fr. marching to the Rafah crossing. In Cairo, riot police fire tear gas, disperse protesters converging on the Israeli embassy, injuring around 120. On the Gaza border, IDF troops fire live ammunition and artillery at Gazans marching toward the border, wounding at least 125. In the West Bank, IDF troops fire tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets to disperse around 1,000 stone-throwing Palestinians marching toward the Qalandia crossing (injuring 10s) and violently beat scores of Palestinians marching fr. Palestinian-controlled area A toward Israeli security-controlled area B in Hebron (injuring 10s). A large peaceful rally commemorating the Nakba is held in Ramallah. Numerous smaller and protests clashes are also reported in the West Bank and East Jerusalem; rights groups say some 185 Palestinians have been injured in these clashes over the past 3 days, 153 of them in Jerusalem. Netanyahu accuses the demonstrators of “incitement” and challenging “the very existence of Israel.” Other Israeli officials accuse Iran and Syria of instigating the Palestinians, noting that Syrian security did nothing to prevent Palestinians fr. approaching the border. (DS, IFM, IsRN, JAZ, JP, MA, YA 5/15; Christian Science Monitor, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 5/16)

Unrelated to the “March to Palestine,” IDF troops fired across the border into Gaza, killing a Palestinian who allegedly was planting an explosive device. Inside Israel, an Israeli Palestinian drives his truck into several cars, a bus, and pedestrians in Tel Aviv, killing 1 Israeli and injuring 17 in what Israeli police say was a deliberate terrorist attack; the driver, who is arrested, strongly denies deliberately harming anyone, saying he lost control of his vehicle when a tire blew. The IDF also patrols in 2 village nr. Qalqilya (arresting 1 Palestinian teenager for throwing stones) and 2 nr. Tulkarm; sends undercover units into Nur al-Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm late at night, surrounding and raiding a house and arresting 1 Palestinian; conducts other late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around al-‘Arub r.c. and Hebron, and nr. Salfit. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba settlement in Hebron throw 4 Molotov cocktails at a nearby Palestinian home, causing minor damage. Israel resumes transferring VAT taxes to the PA (see 5/1), having received PA assurances that none of the money would be accessible to Hamas under the new Fatah-Hamas unity deal, but warning that it would reconsider suspending transfers if Hamas was allowed to join a PA govt. (NYT 5/16; PCHR 5/19; OCHA 5/20)

At quarter’s end, fierce fighting is ongoing in Libya and NATO intervention continues. Rebel-held areas increasingly report shortages of food and medical supplies. No reliable figures on casualties are available since independent media access and communications are extremely difficult. Deaths are thought to be well into the 1,000s and perhaps as high as 10,000. (WP 5/16; REU 6/9)