The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces rammed into 2 Palestinians riding a motorcycle near Arrabah, injuring both. 15 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Fasayil, Tammun, Balata refugee camp, Tulkarm, Jifna, and Bayt Rima. In East Jerusalem, 2 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled land east of Dayr al-Balah. (WAFA, WAFA 1/24; WAFA 1/25; PCHR 1/26; UNOCHA 2/3)

The Knesset extended the emergency orders that extend Israeli law to Israeli settlers in the West Bank for 5 years. (HA 1/24)

PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh met with EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borell in Brussels. (WAFA 1/24)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman. It was reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu promised King Abdullah II Israel would maintain the status quo of the Holy Sites. (AJ, AX, HA, MEE 1/24)

UNRWA said it needs $1.6 billion in funding to be able to continue its basic services. In a statement the agency said “[c]ompounding challenges over the last year including underfunding, competing global crises, inflation, disruption in the supply chain, geopolitical dynamics and skyrocketing levels of poverty and unemployment among Palestine refugees have put immense strain on UNRWA.” UNRWA workers in the West Bank began a general strike on 1/23 demanding higher wages. (AJ, HA, WAFA 1/24; MEE, REU 1/25)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in al-Rakiz in the Masafer Yatta area, causing injuries from assault and tear gas. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian minor during a raid in Hebron. 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in al-Arroub refugee camp, Bethlehem, and Jaba‘. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at 2 Palestinian fishermen, injuring both with baton rounds and seizing their boat; both were transferred to a hospital for treatment. Israeli naval forces also arrested 2 fishermen within 2 nautical miles and confiscated their boat; neither was injured. Meanwhile, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen 550 yards from the shore, damaging 2 boats and 15 searchlights. In Gaza, 2 Palestinians were arrested near the Gaza fence. (MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/4; PCHR 6/5; PCHR 6/9; UNOCHA 6/17)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with French president Emmanuel Macron via phone. (WAFA 6/4)

Meretz MK Michal Rozin said at an event that her party will support Emergency Regulations – Judea and Samaria, Jurisdiction and Legal Aid, extending Israeli law to Israeli settlers living in the West Bank. Rozin explained that her party is doing so to ensure that the government coalition does not dissolve. The regulation is set to expire at the end of June and Israeli justice minister Gideon Sa’ar is seeking to extend it for 5 years. Former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his party Likud will abstain on voting to extend the regulation. (HA 5/31; HA 6/2; ALM, HA, HA 6/3; HA 6/4; AP, HA 6/6)

A UK-based Iranian opposition group, Iran International, reported that an Iranian engineer, Ayoob Entezari, was assassinated by poison at a dinner in Yazd. Iran denied the reporting, saying Entezari died of a disease. It was reported that Entezari was working on drone and missile technology. Entezari’s death followed 3 incidents in the last 2 weeks, in which 2 colonels and 1 other engineer were killed in Iran. (HA, TOI 6/4; HA, TOI 6/5; HA, JP 6/6)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted some 40 olive trees in Yatma. 6 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Yatta, and Bethlehem; 1 was arrested at a checkpoint between Nablus and Tubas. In East Jerusalem, Israel’s outgoing public security minister Gilad Erdan ordered 1 nonprofit organization helping Palestinian children from single-family homes with schoolwork to close because of alleged ties to the PA. The institution in charge of the organization, Volunteer for Hope, denies that the organization received any funds from the PA. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen west of Bayt Lahiya; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on agricultural lands east of al-Bureij and al-Maghazi; no injuries were reported. In the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 person crossing from Lebanon. (HA, WAFA 5/17; PCHR 5/21; HA 5/22)

The new Israeli government was sworn in. The new government is headed by Benjamin Netanyahu and has 36 ministers and 16 deputy ministers from 9 different parties. Benny Gantz will be deputy prime minister and defense minister for 18 months, when the coalition deal stipulates that Gantz will become the prime minister for the 2d half of the government term. During his speech to the Knesset, Netanyahu said of annexing Israeli settlements in the West Bank, “[i]t’s time to apply the Israeli law and write another glorious chapter in the history of Zionism.” (AJ, HA, REU 5/17; NPR 5/18)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian was injured by Israeli forces using live ammunition when clashes erupted during a late-night raid in Tubas. 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Jenin and Nablus. During the Jenin raid, a Palestinian was hospitalized after being hit by a rubber-coated bullet. Separately, during a late-night raid in Bayt Furik, Israeli forces confiscated 362 Jordanian Dinars ($510) and 12,070 NIS ($3,500). Israeli forces prevented a farmer from working his land and seized 2 tractors near Bayt Dajan, and seized 3 residential tents in Tubas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished 2 Palestinian-owned houses in Silwan. In an effort suppress Fatah members and supporters celebrating the party’s 55-year anniversary in East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrested Fatah’s secretary-general in Jerusalem in Wadi al-Juz and 1 Fatah activist in Issawiyya. Israeli forces also removed several Fatah flags from Silwan, al-Tur, and Issawiyya. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/1; PCHR 1/2)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had decided to request immunity from prosecution by the Knesset in the 3 criminal cases against him. The Knesset House Committee has to discuss Prime Minister Netanyahu’s request according to Israeli law, and if the committee approves his request, it will go to a vote in the Knesset. However, the House Committee is not expected to assemble before the March elections as it has not been appointed since the Knesset was 1st dissolved in April 2019. Netanyahu also resigned his positions as minister of Health, Welfare, Agriculture, and Diaspora Affairs as required by the indictment against him in the 3 criminal cases. Israel has no law against removing the prime minister from office while indicted. Netanyahu said he would appoint replacements for the 4 ministries in the coming days. (HA 1/1; HA 1/2)

In Baghdad, Iraqi protesters continued attacking the U.S. embassy for the 2d day in a row; however, the crowd was much smaller and no protester breached the gates to the embassy compound. By the end of the day, protesters had vacated the area on orders from the Popular Mobilisation Forces, an Iraqi government-sanctioned paramilitary umbrella organization. (AJ, AJ, NYT, WP 1/1)