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  • April 7, 2021

    In the West Bank, 1 Israeli settler struck and killed 1 Palestinian woman with their car near al-Samu’; it was unclear if the settler had rammed the woman intentionally. Israeli settlers with...

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  • November 23, 2020

    In the West Bank, Israeli settlers used clubs to vandalize Palestinian-owned cars traveling near the Yitzhar settlement on the Nablus-Qalqilya road. Israeli forces demolished 1 house under...

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  • October 6, 2020

    In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian shepherds near Yatta; no serious injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also set up mobile homes on Palestinian-owned land near Bayt Dajan...

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  • June 24, 2020

    In the West Bank, Israeli forces prevented Palestinians from reaching a rally against annexation and Palestinian officials from reaching a meeting in Fasayil in the Jordan Valley, leading to tear-...

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In the West Bank, 1 Israeli settler struck and killed 1 Palestinian woman with their car near al-Samu’; it was unclear if the settler had rammed the woman intentionally. Israeli settlers with military escort raided Kafr Haris and Sabastiyya, closing off areas of both towns for Palestinians. Israeli forces issued demolition orders against 64 Palestinian-owned structures in Ras al-Ahmar. Israeli forces also delivered demolition notices for 2 residential structures and 2 agricultural structures in al-Jiftlik. 19 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Ras Karkar, Dayr Jarir, Bayt Umar, Yatta, Tulkarm, Jenin, and Tubas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished 1 car repair shop, 1 garage, 2 rooms in Issawiyya, and seized vending stalls near the Haram al-Sharif compound. 1 Palestinian was arrested during a house raid in Ras Khamis. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Bayt Lahiya; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/7; PCHR, WAFA 4/8)

Hamas declared a total lockdown of Gaza to curb the COVID-19 virus, which has been spreading at unprecedented levels. The lockdown will last until the morning of 4/16. Only food vendors and pharmacies will be allowed to remain open. In the 24 hours before the announcement, 6 people had succumbed to the virus in Gaza and 38 percent of tests were positive. 150 people were receiving care for the illness at a hospital. (HA 4/7)

An Israeli planning commission approved 540 new settlement units in Har Homa in East Jerusalem between the city and Bethlehem. The Jerusalem District Planning Committee will need to give the final approval to 540 units on 4/21. The PA condemned the decision. (HA, WAFA 4/7; MEMO, TOI 4/8)

1 Palestinian prisoner in administrative detention suspended his 47-day-long hunger strike after being promised that Israel would set a date for his release. (WAFA 4/7)

Palestinian human rights activist Issa Amro was acquitted of all charges in a Palestinian court. He had been charged with insulting higher authorities, causing public strife, and disturbing public order after writing criticism about the PA. (Twitter 4/7; Twitter 4/8)

Right-wing Israeli politician and leader of HaTzionut HaDatit (Religious Zionist Party) Bezalel Smotrich wrote on Twitter, “I heard that after Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, may he live a long life, said that a true Muslim must know that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish People, Ahmad Tibi opened his mouth against him. So, Ahmad, a true Muslim must know that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people, and over time Arabs like you, who do not recognize that, will not remain here. Rabbi Shmuel and tens of thousands of his students, including us, will make sure that happens.” Smotrich’s comments about Palestinian-Israeli politician Ahmad Tibi drew condemnation from pro-Israel organizations in the U.S., including the Anti-Defamation League and AIPAC offshoot Democratic Majority for Israel. (HA, HA 4/7)

Jordanian king Abdullah II said that “the sedition has been buried,” in reference to the alleged plot against him from 4/3, where his half-brother Prince Hamzah bin Hussein was placed under house arrest for steering the plot. The Jordanian government has banned all national outlets from covering the issue. U.S. president Joe Biden assured Abdullah II of his support in a call. (AJ, AP, REU 4/6; AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU 4/7)

The U.S. announced that it will resume providing aid to the UNRWA, which has been cut since 2018. In its 1st aid package, the U.S. will provide $150 million to the UNRWA, $75 million in economic and development assistance to the West Bank and Gaza, and $10 million for “peacebuilding programs” through the USAID. The U.S. also sent $15 million in assistance to the West Bank and Gaza to help with their COVID-19 response in March. The Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Gilad Erdan condemned the U.S. decision to resume aid to UNRWA, saying that Palestinian refugees are not “real” refugees. (AJ, ALM, AX, HA, NYT, REU, USAID, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/7; GDN, WAFA, WAFA 4/8; WAFA 4/12)

The U.S. also said it was ready to lift “sanctions that are inconsistent with the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]” on Iran. The announcement came as indirect talks about the U.S. rejoining the Iran nuclear deal, brokered by the EU, were underway in Vienna. (HA 4/8)

Axios reported that the U.S. has asked Israel to provide the water to Jordan it requested last month, but that Israel is said to withholding due to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal feud with King Abdullah II, which has been growing in recent months and straining the 2 countries’ relationship. (AX 4/7)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers used clubs to vandalize Palestinian-owned cars traveling near the Yitzhar settlement on the Nablus-Qalqilya road. Israeli forces demolished 1 house under construction in Halhul. 4 Palestinians were arrested during a raid near Ramallah; during the raid, Israeli forces clashed with Palestinians, leading to 1 injury and 1 Palestinian-owned vehicle was seized by the Israeli forces. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces harassed several Palestinians in al-Tur, leading to clashes; tear-gas related injuries were reported and 2 Palestinians were arrested. 4 Palestinians were also arrested during raids in Issawiyya and the Old City. (WAFA 11/23; PCHR 11/26)

The PA announced new lockdown measures against the spread of the COVID-19 virus, including a lockdown from 6 p.m.-7 a.m. every day and a general all-day lockdown on Fridays and Saturdays. The lockdown will be in effect for 2 weeks. The West Bank had 5 new deaths and 869 new cases on 11/23. (WAFA, WAFA 11/23)

The Jerusalem District Court rejected the appeal of a Palestinian family against their eviction from their home in Silwan. The court said the family of 26 had to leave the house they have occupied since 1967 to allow Israeli settlers to move in. (PCN 11/24; HA 11/26)

PA prime minister Muhammad Shtayyeh said that the PA will start repaying its dues to public servants and retirees who have not been receiving full payments since February, when the PA starts receiving the money owed to it by Israel later this week. Prime Minister Shtayyeh said payment of dues for salaries remained the priority but recognized that the PA also will pay back all of its other unpaid bills to various sectors and contractors. (WAFA 11/23)

According to the deputy leader of Fatah Mahmoud Alalul, the PA and president-elect Joe Biden’s team have made several understandings on how to proceed with the U.S.-PA relations after President-elect Biden is sworn in come January. Among the issues are definition of settlement products and the U.S. recognition of people born in East Jerusalem as Israelis. (HA 11/24)

An Israeli court forced the Israeli ministry of interior to publish guidelines for a scheme that would allow some 20,000 Palestinians from East Jerusalem to obtain Israeli citizenship faster than the normal process, which is extremely strenuous for Palestinians. (HA 11/24)

Without formally conceding the election, U.S. president Donald Trump said in a tweet that he had allowed the General Services Administration to prepare for President-elect Biden’s transition to the presidency. President Trump continues to maintain that he really won the election because Biden’s victory was based on voter fraud, an assertion he has not backed with any evidence. (HA 11/23)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian shepherds near Yatta; no serious injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also set up mobile homes on Palestinian-owned land near Bayt Dajan and set up tents on Palestinian-owned land east of Hebron. 5 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Hebron, Jenin, and al-Bireh. In East Jerusalem, 5 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Issawiyya. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on agricultural lands east of al-Maghazi; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen west of al-Sudaniyya refugee camp and Bayt Lahiya within the allowed fishing area; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/6; PCHR 10/8)

Israel’s justice ministry dropped its investigation into Israeli police officers who planted a gun in an East Jerusalem house belonging to a Palestinian family for Kan TV’s reality show Jerusalem District to stage a house arrest. (HA 10/6)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces prevented Palestinians from reaching a rally against annexation and Palestinian officials from reaching a meeting in Fasayil in the Jordan Valley, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also demolished 1 house under construction in Bayt Sira and 1 house in Beitunia. Elsewhere, Israeli forces delivered an eviction notice to 1 Palestinian in al-Khadir. Israeli settlers destroyed 85 Palestinian-owned olive trees near Bardala. 22 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Qalqilya, ‘Azun, Jenin, Awarta, Nablus, Baytin, Ramallah, Hebron, and Qalandia. In East Jerusalem, Israeli setters seized a tract of Palestinian-owned land in Issawiyya. Israeli forces also demolished 1 Palestinian-owned home in Bayt Hanina. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on agricultural lands east of Dayr al-Balah; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/24; PCHR 6/25)

The Jerusalem district court denied a request by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate to void the sale of its property in the Old City to the settler group Ateret Cohanim, ending a 16-year-long legal battle. (HA 6/26)

U.S. president Donald Trump aide Kellyanne Conway told reporters that President Trump will have “a big announcement” about the U.S. position on Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank after White House officials met for a 2d day in a row to discuss the issue. Conway also characterized concerns over potential reactions in the Middle East to Israeli annexation as overblown. (AJ 6/24; HA 6/25)

At a virtual UN Security Council meeting, the UN secretary general António Guterres called on Israel “to abandon its annexation plans.” After the meeting, the current and incoming EU members of the UN security council—Germany, Ireland, France, Estonia, Belgium, and France, as well as the UK and Norway—released a joint statement supporting Secretary General Guterres’s “grave concern.” Separately, more than 1,000 European parliamentarians from 25 counties signed a letter denouncing Israel, saying “[a]cquisition of territory by force has no place in 2020 and must have commensurate consequences.” Meanwhile, U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo told reporters that decisions about annexations are “for Israelis to make.” (AJ, BBC, German Foreign Ministry, HA, REU, REU, WAFA 6/24; AJ 6/25)

At an extraordinary meeting hosted by Sweden and Jordan to fundraise for UNRWA, 75 governments and non-governmental organizations pledged $130 million to the UNRWA budget. (WAFA 6/24)