The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 3 villages nr. Hebron, Tulkarm, and 1 nearby village, Nablus, Tubas, and 1 village nr. Ramallah at night; patrols in Jenin and 1 nearby village, and 1 village each in Bethlehem and Hebron. Jewish settlers attack Palestinian-owned vehicles nr. Nablus, causing damage but no injuries. Settlers also set fire to olive trees nr. Hawara village. (MNA 6/26; PCHR 6/27)

The Israeli army reopens Kerem Shalom and Erez border crossings into the Gaza Strip, closed on 6/23 as a punitive measure following rocket fire. (AFP 6/26)

The Jerusalem municipality approves construction permits for 69 new homes in East Jerusalem settlement Har Homa, a day before U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry is due to arrive for talks in Israel and the West Bank. (AFP, JP 6/26)

UNESCO’s World Heritage Cmte. in Phnom Penh passes a Jordanian-sponsored resolution in an 8–3–10 vote condemning Israeli actions in Jerusalem, such as developments of the Western Wall and Temple Mount site, and resolving to maintain the places of the Old City and Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on its World Heritage Sites in Danger list. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticizes the resolution, saying it is a “dark day for UNESCO.” (ToI 6/26)

Austria completes the withdrawal of its UNDOF peacekeepers from the Golan Heights, with the remaining 70 departing via Israel. (HA 6/26)

Unidentified gunmen kidnap 2 Egyptian police officers in the s. Sinai, reportedly in revenge for an earlier assault on a Bedouin man by a police officer during a dispute at a petrol station. (Ahram 6/26)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 2 villages nr. Bethlehem, 2 villages nr. Qalqilya, and 1 village nr. Hebron at night; patrols Qalqilya and in 1 village each nr. Salfit, Jenin, and Hebron at night. (PCHR 6/20)

Israel’s Economics and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett says that the idea of a Palestinian state is “dead” and urges Israel to annex Area C of the West Bank as soon as possible. In response, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat says that the international community needs to recognize that Israel has declared the end of the two-state solution. However, separately, Israel’s Housing Minister Uri Ariel says that the govt. has frozen nearly all housing starts in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, to boost efforts to restart talks. (AFP, JP, REU, YA 6/17)

Reports in Fiji’s media suggest that the Pacific island will replace some of the UNDOF peacekeepers withdrawn by Austria (following previous withdrawals by Croatia and Japan), sending 170 troops by the end of 6/2013. (JP 6/17)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops operating from a border fence watchtower nr. Khan Yunis open fire and cause damage to a house. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Hebron in the morning and in 1 village nr. Jenin at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin and 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, and in 2 villages nr. Qalqilya, 1 village nr. Hebron, 1 village nr. Jenin, and 1 village nr. Jericho at night. Jewish settlers throw rocks and Molotov cocktails at Palestinian-owned homes and a car nr. Yitzhar settlement in the n. West Bank. (MNA 6/13; PCHR 6/20)

Israeli officials confirm that plans will proceed to build more than 1,000 new homes in Bruchin and Itamar settlements, drawing criticism from the U.S. administration, with U.S. State Dept. spokesperson Jen Psaki calling the announcement “unhelpful.” Bruchin was granted legal status last year, and its residents will be allowed to construct 550 new houses, while Itamar’s will be permitted to construct 537 new homes, in association with the relevant govt. agencies. (AP, REU 6/13)

An estimated 3,000 protesters march in Beersheba to demonstrate against the proposed Prawer Plan, which will displace tens of thousands of Bedouins in the Negev. Bedouins also conduct a community-wide strike in protest of the Plan. (AFP, YA 6/13)

U.S. Pres. Barack Obama authorizes sending U.S. weapons to Syrian rebels for the 1st time. Meanwhile, a statement from the White House says that between 100 and 150 people have died from chemical weapons attacks in Syria. (AP, REU 6/13)

UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky says that the peacekeeping dept. has asked Austria to delay to the end of 7/2013 its full troop withdrawal from the UNDOF mission in the Golan Heights to enable a smooth transition. Separately, the UN also says that Syrians are being killed at an average rate of 5,000 per month, with the overall death toll nearly 93,000. (AP 6/13)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops conduct a limited incursion nr. Dayr al-Balah, levelling land alongside the border fence. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 4 villages nr. Hebron, 1 village nr. Ramallah and in Bethlehem at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Hebron in the morning and in 2 villages nr. Hebron at night. During a patrol in al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Tubas at night, IDF troops clash with stone-throwing youths and wound 5 with rubber-coated metal bullets. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities issue expulsion orders for 8 Palestinian families totalling 53 people in Bayt Hanina. (MNA, WAFA 6/11; PCHR 6/13)

PA Dep. PM Mohammad Mustafa tells a news conference in Ramallah that the PA’s debts total $4.2 billion, with those owed money including local banks and the Palestinian Pension Fund. (JP, MNA 6/11)

Austria begins withdrawing its peacekeepers from the Golan Heights-based UNDOF, with an initial group of some 60 to 80 soldiers departing. (AFP, REU 6/11)

The U.S. Treasury imposes an asset freeze under U.S. jurisdiction on 4 individuals based in West Africa it accuses of fundraising for Hizballah. Meanwhile, rockets fired from the Syrian side of the border wound 4 people in the Lebanese town of Hermel. (DS, NYT 6/11)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Hebron and 1 village nr. Ramallah at night; patrols in Salfit and 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, in Jenin and 3 nearby villages in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm, 1 village nr. Hebron, and 1 village nr. Ramallah at night. Jewish settlers uproot olive trees in Palestinian-owned fields nr. Hebron and in a separate incident attack Palestinian-owned cars with stones nr. Nablus, causing damage but no injuries. (MNA 6/6; PCHR 6/13)

Former president of an-Najah University Rami Hamdallah is sworn in as Palestinian PM at a ceremony with Pres. Mahmud Abbas, with the 24-member cabinet remaining mostly the same except for a few changes (such as the appointment of 2 deputy PMs, Ziad Abu Amr and Mohammed Mustafa, and a new fin. min., Shukri Bishara). Hamdallah replaces Salam Fayyad, who resigned in 4/2013. Abbas says that the new govt. is intended to remain until there can be an agreement with Hamas about when to hold elections. (MNA, REU 6/6)

Syrian opposition fighters briefly take control of a UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF)-operated crossing between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights before it is retaken by the Syrian army. In response, Austria says it will withdraw its 380 members of the 1,000-strong UNDOF force. In a separate incident, a Filipino peacekeeper is injured when a shell lands at another UNDOF base. It is unclear whether the shell was fired by govt. or opposition forces. (AP, REU 6/6)

Israel’s Justice Minister Tzipi Livni meets with U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry in Rome, following a meeting last week in Washington that discussed the possibility of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. U.S. Pres. Barack Obama speaks with PM Benjamin Netanyahu by phone to discuss the peace process. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities approve construction of 296 new settlement housing units in Beit El settlement nr. Ramallah. (JP 5/8; JP, MNA 5/9)

In Jerusalem, Jewish settlers accompanied by Israeli security forces enter the al-Aqsa Mosque compound for the second consecutive day, preventing Muslim worshippers from freely accessing the site. Meanwhile, Israeli police detain Jerusalem Mufti Mohammed Hussein for a few hours over his role in clashes the previous day.

In the West Bank, IDF forces demolish 3 Palestinian homes in al-Auja village nr. Jericho. IDF undercover units conduct a raid nr. Jenin, arresting PA Preventive Security officer Mohammed Ahmed Zakarna, who received an amnesty a few years ago for his participation in the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Hebron in the morning, and in 1 village nr. Tulkarm at night. IDF troops conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron and 1 village nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in 1 village nr. Hebron, 1 village nr. Jenin and in Tulkarm at night. IDF forces make 2 brief incursions into Gaza to level land and clear lines of sight along the border nr. Jabaliya and Bayt Hanun. (AFP, MNA 5/8; PCHR 5/9)

Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem publishes a report that says Israel killed 87 Palestinian civilians in Operation Pillar of Defense in 11/2012, 80% of whom died in the second half of the operation. (JP 5/9)

Egyptian theologian and prominent Islamist cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi enters the Gaza Strip on a high-profile official visit to the Hamas government, welcomed and hosted by PM Ismail Haniyeh (AFP 5/8)

Jordan’s parliament votes in favor of petitioning the government to expel Israeli amb. Daniel Nevo and recalling Jordan’s amb. to Israel to protest recent unrest involving Jewish settlers entering the al-Aqsa Mosque compound (see 5/7) Ultimately, Jordan’s Interior Min. Hussein al-Majali only summons Nevo to convey an official protest. (AFP 5/8)

Professor Stephen Hawking of Cambridge University pulls out of a conference in Israel in 6/2013 hosted by Pres. Shimon Peres, citing the Palestinian boycott call. Israeli FM spokesman Yigal Palmor says that ‘‘never has a scientist of this stature boycotted Israel.’’ (NYT 5/8)

The UN relocates peacekeepers from an observation post in the al-Jamla area of the Golan Heights cease-fire zone, following the most recent abduction of Filipino troops on 5/7. (AFP 5/8)