The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces arrested 8 Palestinians, including 7 during late-night raids in and around Qalqilya, Ramallah, Halhul, and Salfit, and 1 at a flying checkpoint in Hebron; among the arrested at a late-night raid in Ramallah was 1 Palestinian instructor from Birzeit University in Ramallah. Israeli forces also conducted house raids in Zabbuba near Jenin; no arrests were reported. Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian-owned vehicles travelling on a road northeast of Ramallah, causing damage. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian was arrested during a late-night raid in Issawiyya. 1 Palestinian demolished his store in Silwan after receiving a demolition order by Israeli authorities. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/1; PCHR 9/5)

After more than 340 Palestinians had been arrested in Issawiyya in East Jerusalem during the summer, it was reported that the Israeli police, the Jerusalem Municipality, and residents of Issawiyya had come to an agreement on limiting Israeli operations in Issawiyya. The agreement includes that residents of Issawiyya cancel a school strike on 9/2, the 1st day of the school year. (HA 9/1)

According to the Palestinian Energy Authority, Qatar will be cutting the amount of fuel it funds for Gaza by 50 percent, causing the hours of electricity available in Gaza to drop from 8 hours per day to 5 or 6. (HA 9/1)

At a visit to the Israeli settlement of Elkana, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that that he aspires to apply Israeli sovereignty to all Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Netanyahu’s announcement comes 2 weeks before the Israeli general election. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 9/1)

The al-Kasom Regional Council in the Negev, which presides over a large Bedouin community, announced that 17,000 students would not start the school year as planned on 9/2 as the Israeli education ministry had not given it enough money to begin the school year as planned. (HA 9/1)

Israeli forces and Hezbollah operatives exchanged missiles near the border of Israel and Lebanon. According to Hezbollah, it fired anti-tank missiles at Israeli military vehicles. The Israeli military and Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that it had hit the Hezbollah cell that fired the anti-tank missiles with “100 shells, aerial fire and various measures.” (HA 9/1; AJ, AJ, HA 9/2; HA 9/4)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron and 2 nearby villages, and 1 village each nr. Ramallah and Salfit; patrols in 4 villages nr. Ramallah, 2 villages nr. Hebron, 1 village nr. Jericho and in Salfit. Also, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 4 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, Nil‘in, and Wadi Fukin), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum). There are no serious injuries. At an anti-occupation protest in Silwad nr. Ramallah, IDF troops shoot and injure 4 Palestinians with live ammunition. (PCHR 9/11)

Israel publishes tenders for 283 new homes in Elkana settlement in the n. West Bank. Expansion of the settlement was approved in 1/2014. (AFP, JP 9/5)

U.S. and Iranian officials meet for a 2d day of talks in Geneva, with the teams led by Dep. Secy. of State William Burns and Under Secy. of State Wendy Sherman, and Iran’s Dep. FM Abbas Araghchi, respectively. Separately, a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) leaked to the press says that Iran has failed to address concerns about suspected atomic bomb research. Tehran has reportedly only implemented 3 out of 5 agreed transparency steps. (AFP, AP, REU 9/5)

An Israeli surveillance device is remotely detonated in Adlun village, s. Lebanon, killing a Hizballah mbr. as he attempts to dismantle it. (AFP, AP 9/5)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village each nr. Hebron, Jenin, Jerusalem, Nablus, and Ramallah at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Hebron at night. (PCHR 11/7)

Israel issues tenders for the construction of more than 1,700 homes, shortly ahead of a visit by U.S. Secy. of State Kerry. The tenders are part of 3,500 homes whose planned construction was announced after the latest prisoner release. The tenders are for homes in East Jerusalem settlements Ramat Shlomo and Gilo, as well as West Bank settlements like Elkana, Ma’ale Adumim, and Beitar Ilit. There is also 196 homes planned for Karnei Shomron, a settlement outside the “blocs” Israel expects to keep in any future deal. Separately, Israeli media report that PM Netanyahu intends to build a separation barrier between the West Bank and Jordan, as part of the govt.’s plans to maintain an Israeli presence in the Jordan Valley. Responding to developments, Pres. Abbas spokesperson Abu Rudayna says that the decision to build a fence along the border with Jordan is aimed at undermining Kerry’s upcoming mission, while PLO mbr. Wassel Abu Yousef slams the settlement tenders and says the PLO is considering how to get UN action against these decisions. Kerry, in Egypt, responds to a question at a press conference with FM Nabil Fahmy by saying that settlement construction disturbs “people’s perceptions of whether . . . we’re moving in the right direction.” (AFP, JP, MNA, REU, ToI 11/3)

U.S. Undersecy. of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman assures Israel that Obama has not offered any sanctions relief to Iran and that Israeli security is a priority of the administration. Speaking to Israeli television, Sherman says that the U.S. may offer temporary, limited sanctions relief as part of the diplomatic process while leaving core oil and banking sanctions in place. (HA, JP 11/3)

In Egypt, U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry expresses optimism about a return to democracy, and describes Cairo as a vital partner of Washington. Unnamed senior State Dept. officials say that Kerry did not discuss ousted pres. Morsi’s trial in meetings with Pres. Adly Mansour and Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. (REU 11/3)

In Gaza, the IDF makes an air strike on a group of armed Palestinians nr. Jabaliya r.c., killing 2 Palestinian resistance mbrs., wounding 2; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches (using dogs) in Wadi alSilqa. IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire on agricultural areas nr. Khuza e. of Khan Yunis, wounding a Palestinian farmer working his field. In the West Bank, the IDF surrounds a girls’ orphanage in Hebron for 40 mins., withdraws without making arrests (see 2/26); conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Amari r.c. nr. Ramallah. Jewish settlers fr. Elkana nr. Salfit vandalize a Palestinian home nr. the settlement (the family has been attacked 10s of times by Elkana settlers trying to force them to leave the area). (OCHA 4/2; PCHR 4/3)

Israel announces that it has arrested 3 PFLP mbrs. for allegedly plotting to assassinate Shas party leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. The IDF orders 27 bedouin to evacuate 3 sites nr. Tubas. Israel also opens bidding on 50 plots of land in Elkana settlement nr. Nablus for construction of new homes. The IDF issues military orders for the demolition of 3 Palestinian homes, 10 wells, 6 sewage systems outside Yatta for expansion of Carmiel settlement; resumes construction on a segment of the separation wall n. of Jerusalem; starts construction of a settler bypass road linking Neve Yaqub settlement to others around Jerusalem; raids Dayr al-Balah for a 2d day, arrests 3 Palestinians who allegedly attempted to sneak into Israel to find work; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Askar r.c. nr. Nablus, Silwad nr. Ramallah. Jewish settlers set up 2 new unauthorized outposts nr. Elon Moreh settlement nr. Nablus, nr. Hebron. A Jewish settler injures a 12-yr.-old Palestinian child in a hit-and-run nr. Bethlehem. Palestinians fire on IDF soldiers outside Neve Dekalim settlement, lightly wounding 1. In Jenin, 10s of AMB mbrs. take over a main intersection, close down a government building, demanding that the PA provide jobs to unemployed militants, fmr. prisoners, relatives of Palestinians killed by the IDF. Palestinian teachers open a 2-day strike to protest PC inactivity in amending the civil service law to increase teacher salaries (see 4/6). (NYT 4/18; MM 4/19; OCHA, PR 4/20; PCHR 4/21)

The IDF opens fire on Palestinians attempting to block bulldozers fr. clearing land nr. Bayt Surik for construction of the separation wall, wounding at least 1; demolishes a Palestinian home in Sawahara al-Sharqiyya nr. Jerusalem for construction of the wall; begins construction of a new 42 km wall segment btwn. Elkana settlement nr. Qalqilya and Ofer detention center s. of Ramallah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Artas nr. Bethlehem, in Rafah, in camps and villages around Hebron and Jenin; raids, seals a Tulkarm charitable organization allegedly linked to Hamas, confiscating equipment, furniture. PA security officials confirm that Hizballah helped fund the 1/29 and 2/22 suicide bombings. (AFP, MM 2/24; VOP 2/24 in WNC 2/26; AP, NYT 2/25; HA, LAW, PCHR 2/26)

Military Action:

4 hours of artillery and rocket barrages between Phalange and Druze militias over 20 mile arc from Chouf to Junieh, Beirut suburbs worst hit since last summer; helicopter carrying US Marine commander fired on, no injuries; artillery and rocket battles in Tripoli between pro- and anti-Syrian militias; Gemayel orders Lebanese Army and Air Force to attack and silence any positions firing on Beirut; IDF officers in Bekaa say Syrian military activity in the area is defensive, no signs of preparation for attack.

Casualties:

6-7 killed, 25-34 injured in artillery barrages in Chouf and Beirut; 1 IDF soldier killed, 9 injured by artillery shell near convoy; 1 killed, 4 wounded in Tripoli; American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee resumes shipments of cement to assist in reconstruction of refugee camps in South Lebanon.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israeli officials seek clarification of points in draft troop withdrawal agreement, special envoys Habib and Draper answer questions at Foreign Ministry; Chaim Herzog sworn in as president of Israel, says that political and ethnic tensions among Israeli Jews constitute a danger from within; 500 Arab college and high school students demonstrate in Nazareth against discriminatory recommendations for university tuitionfee policy; Nablus court issues 6 more injunctions preventing private company from preparing land for Elkana D settlement near Bidya; Jerusalem resident, beaten by yeshiva students while rescuing elderly woman last month, hospitalized in serious condition after being beaten again; physician and lawyer in Ramallah jailed after their offices searched by Israeli tax collectors seeking retroactive payment of value added tax, boycotted by West Bank professionals and merchants.

Arab Governments: Jordanian official says there are no prospects for the resumption of political dialogue between King Hussein and PLO Chairman Arafat on a joint stand to enter peace process; Syrian President Assad visits Riyadh, meets King Fahd; Ba'ath Party official says that after Syria's heavy sacrifices it has the right to discuss, take issue with and even oppose particular PLO action, criticizes Arafat for treating all Arab states alike.

US and Other Countries: US lifts unofficial ban on Navy ships visiting Israel, supply ship USS Savannah docks at Haifa to replenish stocks of Sixth Fleet ships anchored off Beirut; Jewish businessmen in Virginia form political action committee (PAC) to back pro-Israeli candidates; National Association of Arab Americans' spokesman says 24 PACs have been formed by pro-Israeli, Jewish American activists, NAAA considers forming PACs as well.