The Palestine Chronology

For a 2d day in a row, Gazan fighters fire a rocket into s. Israel. It lands in an open area, causing no serious damage or injuries. The IDF fires retaliatory tank shells across the border at Hamas sites, causing an undetermined amount of damage. After the exchange, DM Lieberman says that Israel will not seek an escalation of violence, but that it will not hesitate from retaliating against all rocket attacks. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 10/6; PCHR 10/13)

Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Rafah. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts a late-night raid in al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Tubas, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths; 3 Palestinians are injured and 2 are arrested. IDF troops arrest 6 Palestinians during raids nr. Bethlehem, Nablus, and Tulkarm; and patrol nr. Hebron. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish the “unrecognized” bedouin village of al-Araqib in the Negev for the 104th time since 2010. They also shut down several organizations affiliated with the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Nazareth and Umm al-Fahm, including 1 media group. The branch was accused of incitement and outlawed in 11/2015 (see JPS 45 [3]). (MNA 10/6; MNA 10/7; PCHR 10/13)

PA pres. Abbas is admitted to hospital in Ramallah after suffering chest pains and undergoes cardiovascular testing. PLO secy.-gen. Erekat says that the tests confirm that Abbas is in “good health.” (HA, MEMO, MNA 10/6)

On 2 occasions off the coast of Gaza nr. Jabaliya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in Bayt Jala village nr. Bethlehem, disrupting Palm Sunday celebrations. The IDF also conducts raids and house searches in 3 villages nr. Nablus, 1 village nr. Ramallah, and Jenin, arresting 18 Palestinians; patrols in 2 villages each nr. Jenin and Ramallah, and 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Jericho. Israeli forces deliver a demolition notice to a warehouse nr. Jenin. An Israeli settler rams a herd of Palestinian-owned sheep with his car nr. Qalqilya, injuring 29 of them. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault a group of Muslim worshippers at Haram alSharif, then they detain 3. Israeli forces also demolish part of a Palestinian’s home in the Old City; conduct house searches and raids in Ras al-Amud, Shu‘fat, and the Old City, arresting 9 Palestinians. (MNA, WAFA 3/29; PCHR 4/2)

On the 2d day of the Arab League’s 26th annual summit, the collected ministers agree to form a special comm. to organize the creation of a detailed timetable for the end of Israel’s occupation. (AFP, YA 3/29; JP 4/7)

Reps. of the Joint List and Palestinian activists conclude their 4-day march from unrecognized villages in the Negev to Pres. Rivlin’s residence in Jerusalem. Although he had earlier agreed to greet them, he is in Singapore for a state funeral. The coalition’s chair, Ayman Odeh, delivers a report on Palestinian bedouin communities in the Negev to Rivlin’s wife instead. (HA, WAFA 3/29; AFP, HA, WAFA 3/30)

EU amb. to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen says that the EU is not currently reassessing its policies regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, despite the recent reports that it is considering new sanctions on Israel’s settlements as an incentive for a new round of peace negotiations. He adds that the EU supports in principle a UNSC res. calling for a timetable on the Israeli occupation. (TOI 3/30)

Chinese FM Wang Yi, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, and UK Foreign Secy. Hammond join the 4th consecutive day of negotiations between the P5+1 and Iran in Lausanne, Switzerland. (AFP, ALM, AP, REU 3/29; HA 3/30; NYT 3/31)

DF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Hanun open fire on Palestinian farmers who stray too nr. the border fence, seriously injuring 1. Palestinians fire 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries, bringing to 21 the number of rockets fired since the Gaza cease-fire went into effect on 11/26. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in al-Walaja nr. Bethlehem; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Abu Dis, Jenin town and r.c., and nr. Bethlehem, Tulkarm; bars a Palestinian heart attack victim fr. crossing a checkpoint to reach a hospital in Nablus, allowing him to die. Following the 12/11 attack on Balusha’s car in Gaza City, Abbas deploys extra security forces under his command across the Strip, sparking an exchange of gunfire btwn. Fatah, Hamas mbrs. during a Fatah demonstration in Khan Yunis against the killings, leaving 4 Fatah mbrs. injured. Inside Israel, Israeli police demolish 4 homes in the unrecognized village of Um Mitnan in the Negev. (IMEMC, MM 12/12; OCHA, WP 12/13; PCHR 12/14)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire on Palestinians collecting scrap metal nr. the border fence, wounding 4. The Israeli navy fires on Palestinian fishermen w. of Rafah, damaging some boats but causing no injuries. The AMB fire 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Also in Gaza, Palestinian haulers hold a 1-day strike to protest new Israeli restrictions barring the passage of specific types of trailers through the Qarni industrial crossing. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in ‘Askar r.c., Nablus, Qalqilya, al-Walaja nr. Bethlehem. Inside Israel, Israeli police demolish Israeli police demolish 17 homes in the unrecognized village of Twayyil in the Negev. (Palestine Information Center, Palestine Times [London] 12/6; MM, PCHR 12/7; IMEMC 12/12; OCHA 12/13; PCHR 12/14)

The IDF assassinates senior Hamas military cmdr. Thabit Ayadi, fatally shooting him in a raid on Tulkarm, also arresting 3 Palestinians, raiding 10s of homes; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes nr. Bethlehem, 1 nr. Nablus; conducts arrest raids, house searches in al-Fawwar r.c., Hebron, Nablus, Ramallah. In retaliation, PRC mbrs. fire 2 rockets at the Sufa crossing into Gaza, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF also sends 100s of reinforcements to Hebron, where confrontations continue with Jewish settlers protesting their planned eviction fr. the Hebron market; several settlers are arrested. (AFP, HA, IMEMC, YA 1/17; IMEMC, NYT 1/18; PCHR 1/19)

Israeli authorities bulldoze 7 Palestinian buildings in unrecognized villages in the Negev for being built without permits, present bedouin with orders to demolish another 40 structures, including a mosque. (Palestine News Agency [WAFA] 1/18)

The IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in Maghazi r.c., killing a 65-yr.-old Palestinian woman who refused orders to vacate; raids a PSF office in Qalqilya, fatally shooting 1 PSF officer, wounding another; fires on stone-throwing Palestinians in Nablus, killing a 17-yr.-old Palestinian, and in Tamun, seriously injuring a 13-yr.-old Palestinian; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, wounding 13 Palestinians; conducts arrest raids, demolishes stalls in the vegetable market in Hebron; conducts arrest raids in Bayt Awla, Bethlehem, Dayr Dibwan, Ramallah. Late in the evening, IDF helicopters open fire on a retirement home attached to a hospital in Gaza City, killing 2 Palestinian medical workers. Palestinians fire 10 mortars at Gush Katif settlement, causing no damage or injuries. (AP, HA, LAW, PCHR, REU 2/5; XIN 2/5 in WNC 2/7; LAW, NYT, WP, WT 2/6; NYT, PM, WP 2/7; DUS 2/7 in WNC 2/10)

Israeli Interior Min. inspectors demolish a mosque in Til al-Malah, an unrecognized bedouin village in the Negev. (HA 2/5)

Under “intense pressure from the American administration,” Sharon holds secret talks with PC speaker and senior PA negotiator Ahmad Qurai`, presents him with a plan for a gradual cease-fire and resumption of security coordination. (HA 2/8; WT 2/9; MM, NYT, WT 2/10; JT, QA, al-Quds, SA 2/10 in WNC 2/11; MM 2/11; AYM 2/11 in WNC 2/13; PR 2/12; MEI 2/21)