The Palestine Chronology

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops open fire on armed Palestinians close to the border fence nr. Bayt Lahiya, wounding 1. Subsequently, a rocket is fired from Gaza into s. Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In 3 further, separate incidents, IDF troops open fire on Palestinians collecting straw close to the border fence nr. Dayr al-Balah, wounding 1; violently disperse Palestinians throwing stones nr. Jabaliya, causing no injuries; and, open fire on Palestinians collecting raw materials nr. Bayt Hanun, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops open fire on Palestinians demonstrating outside Ofer prison nr. Ramallah in solidarity with prisoners on hunger strike, wounding 3. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Tubas and 1 village nr. Nablus at night; patrols in Hebron, and 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah in the afternoon, and in 3 villages nr. Ramallah, 2 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, 1 village nr. Jericho, and in Qalqilya at night. Also, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin), and 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum). There are no serious injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers attack 2 Palestinians on a road nr. Ramallah, causing moderate injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces enter Issawiyya and lightly injure 6 Palestinians during a raid on a bakery. (MNA 5/23; PCHR 5/29)

The IAEA announces in a quarterly report that Iran has cut its stockpile of higher-enriched uranium by around 80%, in compliance with earlier agreements. The report also says Iran is meeting its other obligations. (AP, REU 5/23)

In the n. Sinai Peninsula nr. al-Arish, unknown persons blow up a gas pipeline, disrupting the natural gas supply to an industrial zone. (AP 5/23; MNA 5/24)

In the Gaza Strip, 1 Palestinian dies and 2 are injured in an explosion nr. al-Bureij r.c., while 1 other Palestinian dies in another explosion in the same camp, a mbr. of Hamas’s Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades. Both are suspected to be “work accidents.” Israeli forces open fire on Palestinian protesters close to the border fence nr. al-Shuhada’ cemetery in the n. Gaza Strip, wounding 5. In the West Bank, the IDF evicts Palestinian activists at the ‘Ayn Hiljeh protest camp in the Jordan Valley, lightly wounding 35. Subsequently, activists establish a new protest village in al-Joula in the n. Jordan Valley. The IDF clashes with protesters in Jalazun r.c. and in Silwad nr. Ramallah, with 12 wounded by live ammunition in the former, and 10 wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets in the latter. The IDF patrols in Nablus and 1 nearby village, 2 villages nr. Hebron and 1 village each nr. Jenin and Nablus at night. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements and occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin), 1 village nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara). There are no serious injuries, except in Kafr Qaddum (2 struck by tear gas canisters and 2 with rubber-coated metal bullets) and Nabi Salih (3 struck by tear gas canisters and 1 with a rubbercoated metal bullet). In East Jerusalem, clashes between worshippers and Israeli forces at Haram al-Sharif leave 18 injured. (AFP, HA, MNA 2/7; PCHR 2/13)

UNRWA workers end a 2-mo. strike that began 12/3 over low pay and working conditions, news announced by UNRWA chief Filippo Grandi. (AFP 2/7)

Australia’s Woodside Petroleum Ltd. takes a 25% stake in Israel’s large Leviathan gas field in the e. Mediterranean, as Israel takes a step toward becoming a natural gas exporter. (REU 2/7)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of al-Bureij r.c. arrest 3 Palestinian laborers who attempt to sneak into Israel to find work. The IDF enters Araba village nr. Jenin, raids and confiscates materials fr. a protest tent set up in solidarity with jailed Islamic Jihad spokesman Khader Adnan, who has been on hunger strike since 12/17/11 to protest his detention without charge; the homes of several protest organizers and participants are also raided and searched. The IDF also patrols in 3 villages n. of Ramallah in the morning, in 1 village nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Salfit and 1 nr. Qalqilya late in the evening. The IDF also conducts late-night house searches nr. Salfit. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish settlement enter nearby Nabi Saleh and set fire to a mosque; the fire is quickly extinguished. (PCHR 2/9; OCHA 2/10)

Unidentified assailants blow up Egypt’s natural gas pipeline to Israel for the 12th time in the past yr. No group takes responsibility. Israel generates 40% of its electricity fr. natural gas, and 43% of that natural gas is supplied by Egypt. (NYT 2/5)