The Palestine Chronology

In the morning, Israeli drones make an air strike on a car driving w. of Gaza City, assassinating Army of Islam (AOI) senior mbr. Muhammad al-Nemnem, wounding 2 bystanders; Israel later accuses Nemnem of involvement in “attacks against Israeli and U.S. targets in the Sinai Peninsula.” The IDF makes a brief incursion into c. Gaza e. of al-Bureij r.c. to level land and clear lines of sight; an Israeli tank fires a shell at the surrounding area, but no damage or injuries are reported. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols without incident in al-Yamun village in the afternoon; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and in Nabi Salih. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces conduct early morning arrest raids, house searches in Silwan, detaining 5 Palestinians (including 4 children ages 13–16). Of note: Israel prevents fmr. PA PM and negotiations adviser Ahmed Qurai‘ from crossing into Jordan via the Allenby crossing, citing a previously unannounced decision by the government that from now on only Pres. Abbas and PM Fayyad would receive special treatment; Israeli security officials say the decision had to do with Qurai‘’s recent statements denouncing Israel’s settlement policy. The PASF for the 1st time arrests a Palestinian for selling goods made in a Jewish settlement, enforcing the PA’s 4/2010 law prohibiting the sale of settlement-produced products (see Quarterly Updates in JPS 156–57); the defendant is jailed in Bethlehem pending trial. (MNA, YA 11/3; NYT, PCHR, UNSCO 11/4; OCHA 11/5; OCHA, PCHR 11/11)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction material in the fmr. settlement sites, wounding 1. Hamas’s acting FM Mahmud Zahhar warns that Gazans who fire rockets at Israel violate an agreement among Palestinian factions not to initiate strikes on Israeli targets and face possible arrest. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho and Jenin in the morning, making no arrests; makes a late-night raid into Mazra‘a village nr. Ramallah, patrolling streets and firing rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries; makes a late-night raid on a Palestinian apartment building in Ya‘bad village nr. Jenin, photographing it and questioning the owner; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Askar r.c. and nearby Nablus, in Hebron, and nr. Salfit. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo settlement throw stones at Palestinians driving on the nearby Nablus– Ramallah road, causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces raid and search a Palestinian home in the alBustan area of Silwan early in the morning, arresting 2 Palestinians. (al-Hayat 10/31; PCHR 11/4; OCHA 11/5)

On the evening of the settlement freeze expiration on 9/26, Clinton meets with Abbas in Washington to brief him for the first time on the Israeli-U.S. negotiations over a U.S. incentives package (see 9/20) and urges him not to walk away from direct talks immediately if Netanyahu allows the freeze to expire before a deal can be reached. (NYT 9/26) (see Quarterly Update for details) Clashes in and around Issawiyya between Israeli security forces and stonethrowing Palestinian youths continue for a 3d day. Off Gaza’s n. coast, Israeli naval vessels fire on a Palestinian fishing boat, killing 1 Palestinian fisherman. Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. n. Gaza toward Israel but it lands inside the Strip, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in ‘Anin village nr. Jenin in the afternoon without incident. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists in some locations) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih/Dayr Nizam. IDF soldiers fire rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 10s suffer tear gas inhalation and 4 Palestinians are moderately injured (including 1 hit in the leg by live ammunition). (YA 9/21; JP 9/24; WP 9/25; PCHR 9/30; OCHA 10/1)

Clashes continue in and around Issawiyya between Israeli security forces and stone-throwing Palestinian youths for a 2d day. The IDF’s heavy use of tear gas in residential areas of Issawiyya causes a Palestinian toddler to suffer breathing difficulties; the child is evacuated to Israel’s Hadasah Hospital but dies. The IDF also patrols late at night in Khirbat Abu Falah village nr. Ramallah; no incidents are reported. In Gaza, a Hamas military court sentences a Palestinian to death by firing squad for collaborating with Israel. (NYT 9/24; PCHR 9/30; OCHA 10/1)

Israel seals the West Bank and Gaza crossings through 9/30 for Sukkoth holidays. A private Israeli security guard posted outside Beit Yonatan settlement building in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem (where some 400 settlers live among 30,000 Palestinians), fatally shoots a Palestinian, sparking massive street clashes across East Jerusalem between stone-throwing Palestinian youths and Israeli security forces who fire tear gas, stun grenades, and water cannons. The security guard, who is questioned and released by Israeli police, says he opened fire with his automatic weapon because he felt he was in mortal danger when local Palestinians blocked and stoned his car while he was patrolling around the building. Meanwhile, the IDF raids a Hebron school and detains 2 Palestinian teenagers for beating up a settler youth who harassed them, releasing them in the afternoon; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron; patrols late at night, without incident in villages west of Ramallah. Some 60 armed Jewish settlers storm a residential section of al-Mazra‘a village nr. Ramallah, occupy rooftops, and photograph the area before withdrawing without incident. (NYT, PCHR, WP 9/23; OCHA 9/24; PCHR 9/30; OCHA 10/1)

In the West Bank, the IDF moves back into Azun village in the morning (see 8/29), raiding an auto repair shop and confiscating 6 cars with Israeli license plates; conducts afternoon patrols in 4 other villages nr. Qalqilya, 1 nr. Tulkarm, withdrawing without incident; conducts late-night patrols in Tulkarm, nearby Anabta, and Kafr al-Dik nr. Salfit, conducting no searches and making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron. In Jerusalem, Israeli security forces raid the Wadi Hilwa quarter of Silwan, detaining 5 Palestinians for questioning, releasing all but 1 the same day. (PCHR 9/2; OCHA 9/3)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts patrols without incident in 3 villages nr. Tulkarm and 1 nr. Jericho during the day, and in 2 villages nr. Salfit and 1 nr. Qalqilya late at night. Jewish settlers attempt to break into al-‘Ayn Mosque in Silwan in East Jerusalem but are confronted by Palestinians and removed by Israeli security forces. (PCHR 9/2; OCHA 9/3)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 4 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, a Jewish settler opens fire on Palestinian school children picnicking outside the entrance to al-‘Arub r.c., wounding 2. Israeli security forces raid and search without warrant the Bayt Hanina Club in East Jerusalem; Israeli authorities have repeatedly tried to close the club, claiming it hosts official PA meetings. (Israel prohibits the PA and PLO fr. conducting political activities in East Jerusalem.) (YA 6/3; PCHR 6/10; OCHA 6/11)

Israel releases Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Council (PC) mbr. Muhammad Abu Tir, who was among 60 Hamas-affiliated elected officials arrested by Israel after the 6/06 capture of IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit (of the 60 at least 10 are still in custody). Hrs. later, Israeli security forces raid his home in Umm Tuba village s. of Jerusalem and order him to refrain fr. any public celebration of his release. The IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Jericho. (AFP 5/20; OCHA, PCHR 5/27)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires stun grenades, tear gas and beats several Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in a nonviolent march to the separation wall outside al-Walajah village nr. Bethlehem, injuring 11 demonstrators and arresting 4 (3 Palestinians, 1 international; all are released on bail by evening); conducts synchronized late-night house searches in 2 villages northwest of Ramallah, making no arrests. Jewish settlers in Shaykh Jarrah in East Jerusalem beat 2 Palestinian children (ages 8 and 12); Israeli security forces observe but do not intervene. In a separate incident, a Jewish settler in East Jerusalem beats 2 Palestinian women, fleeing when other Palestinians intervene. Jewish settlers burn tires on the Nablus–Ramallah road to deter Palestinian traffic. (OCHA, PCHR 5/13)

Israel allows the 1st commercial import of clothing and shoes (10 truckloads) into Gaza since 6/07 (previously Israel has allowed some of these items in as humanitarian aid shipments). Late in the evening, unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces raid a Palestinian butcher shop without giving cause, damaging equipment, beating and arresting 6 family members and a 14-yr.-old family friend (all released by 4/6), spraying tear gas inside, and sealing the store. The IDF also patrols in al-Bireh in the evening, making no arrests. (YA 4/4; WT 4/5; PCHR 4/8; OCHA 4/15)

IDF troops make an incursion 500 m into Gaza nr. Wadi al-Silqa village to level 9 d. of agricultural land. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Am‘ari r.c., Jenin.

In Jerusalem, Israeli security forces seal entrances of Jerusalem’s Old City to Palestinians, deploy 200 security officers inside the al-Aqsa Mosque compound (locking the doors of the mosque and corralling Palestinian worshipers), escort 500 Jewish settlers to pray at the site for Purim; when some 20 masked Palestinians inside the compound stone tourists below the wall, Israeli riot police fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at the Palestinians in the compound, injuring 6; Israeli police escort settlers away around noon, but small clashes continue in alleyways around the mosque, leaving 10s more Palestinians and 4 Israeli police lightly injured and at least 7 Palestinians under arrest.

Israel’s Jerusalem district court orders Palestinian resident of Jerusalem Mansur Abu Gharbiyya expelled for 2 yrs. for “participating in public activities” (not further specified). (NYT, WT 3/1; OCHA, PCHR 3/4)