The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at vehicles and houses in Sarta and threw stones at Palestinian-owned vehicles traveling near Rawabi. Israeli settlers also razed Palestinian-owned agricultural land in Khirbet al-Farisiyya. Israeli forces punitively razed agricultural lands in Dayr Nidham after an Israeli settler was injured by a stone-thrower on 1/3. Israeli forces also blocked all entrances and exits to Dayr Nidham for the 2d day in a row. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians, including 2 with live ammunition and 1 with a rubber-coated bullet in ‘Aqabat Jabir during a raid; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also raided a hospital in Tulkarm, firing stun grenades. Meanwhile, Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians trying to enter Israel for work by the separation barrier west of Ya‘bad. Israeli forces also demolished 1 agricultural structure in al-Khadir and demolished 1 agricultural structure, 1 water well, and 6 fences in Anabta. 9 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Surayf, Nablus, Bethlehem, and Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers made roadblocks and vandalized Palestinian-owned cars near the Old City. 6 Palestinians were arrested in the Old City and al-Tur. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian agricultural lands east of al-Maghazi, Bayt Hanun, and al-Bureij; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles of Bayt Lahiya; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/4; PCHR 1/7)

Iranian forces seized a South Korean tanker headed to the UAE from Saudi Arabia. An Iranian government official also said that Iran had resumed 20% uranium enrichment at the Fordow nuclear facility. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU 1/4; HA 1/10)

Ahead of the Gulf Cooperation Council summit on 1/5, Saudi Arabia reopened its land border with Qatar, and Kuwait reopened air space and sea borders to the country. This comes after a 3.5-year dispute between Qatar and Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, where the quartet of countries claimed that Qatar is sponsoring terrorism, an allegation Qatar has denied. (AJ, ALM 1/4)

In the Gaza Strip, Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for passage in both directions. Civil employees go on a 1-day general strike in protest of the fact that they haven’t been paid a full salary since 6/2, and dozens stage a sit-in protest outside the PA unity govt.’s headquarters in Gaza City. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse a peaceful protest outside Ofer detention center nr. Ramallah, injuring 1 Palestinian with live ammunition. Israeli forces demolish 2 homes, a store, and a barn in a village s. of Hebron; deliver 34 evacuation notices to Palestinian families in 2 villages in the Jordan Valley. The IDF also conducts house searches and arrest raids in ‘Askar r.c., Balata r.c., al-‘Arub r.c., as well as nr. Ramallah and Hebron, where they arrest a journalist with al-Aqsa TV; patrols nr. Hebron, Qalqilya, and Salfit. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces clash with stone-throwing Palestinians in al-Tur and Issawiyya, injuring 2 with rubbercoated metal bullets. They also arrest Palestinians in al-Tur, Issawiyya, and Bab Hettah. Meanwhile, around 40 officials from Israel’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and 30 rightwing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif accompanied by IDF troops. In Israel, Palestinian citizens observe a general strike protesting the killing of 2 Palestinian bedouin men in Rahat by Israeli police. Residents of Rahat continue their strike, which they began on 1/18, and around 200 Palestinians throwing stones clash with Israeli police; 4 Palestinians are arrested. (MEE, MNA, TOI, WAFA 1/20; HA, MNA, WAFA, YA 1/21; PCHR 1/22; MNA 1/23) 

In his annual State of the Union address, U.S. Pres. Obama reiterates his promise to veto any new legislation relating to the sanctions on Iran that would threaten the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the P5+1. (NYT 1/21; HA 1/23)

The IAEA publishes a report on Iran’s adherence to the Joint Plan of Action, which governs its negotiations with the P5+1. It concludes that Iran has not enriched any uranium above 5% or made any “further advances” at the Natanz or Fordow plants, or the Arak reactor. (AP 1/21)

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians fire 1 rocket into s. Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval vessels open fire at Palestinian fishermen, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, a Palestinian opens fire on the entrance of Migdal Oz settlement nr. Bethlehem, causing no injuries. Israeli forces disperse a protest march nr. Jiftlik in the Jordan Valley, after demonstrators temporarily blocked Highway 90. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Qalqilya in the afternoon, and in 1 village nr. Bethlehem and in Nablus at night; patrols in 5 villages and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron and 1 village nr. Bethlehem at night. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces shoot and seriously wound a Palestinian during clashes in Anata r.c. (MNA, YA 1/18; PCHR 1/23)

Israeli energy minister Silvan Shalom attends a meeting of the International Renewable Energy Agency in the UAE, the 1st time Israel has sent a minister to such a meeting since the organization began in 2009. (AFP, HA 1/18)

Syrian FM Walid Muallem, in Moscow for talks with Russia’s FM Lavrov, offers a prisoner exchange ahead of proposed peace talks in Switzerland. Meanwhile, the SNC agrees to attend the talks, and also says that 3 armed factions—the Soldiers of the Levant, the Syrian Revolutionaries Front, and the Mujahiddin Army—wish to be represented at the conference. (AFP, REU 1/18)

Egyptian authorities confirm that 98% of the voters who participated in the 1/14 referendum supported the approval of the new constitution, with under 40% of the electorate participating. (AP, REU 1/18)

IAEA inspectors arrive in Tehran in anticipation of the implementation of the 6-mo. interim agreement on 1/20. The team is responsible for monitoring compliance and inspecting the Natanz and Fordow nuclear facilities. (AP, REU 1/18)

Israeli naval vessels halt and seize 2 Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, detaining 4 fishermen. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron and in 1 village nr. Jericho, and late-night house searches nr. Bethlehem, summoning 1 Palestinian for interrogation. (PCHR 5/31, 6/7; OCHA 6/8)

At a conference sponsored by Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Israeli DM Ehud Barak says Israel should consider imposing final borders on the Palestinians, becoming the senior-most official to propose unilateral actions in light of the stalled peace process. Others (unnamed) reportedly (NYT 5/31)

urged against drastic unilateral steps, recommending that ‘‘unilateral steps could be phased in over many years and be designed ... to give Israel a stronger hand in final status’’—effectively what the Israel has been doing as unstated policy for decades. Speaking at the same conference, Gen. Shlomo Brom (Ret.), who heads INSS’s program on the Palestinian conflict, called the unilateral route ‘‘the only remaining course of action,’’ and former Israeli military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin, also an INSS staff member, told the conference that unilateralism was ‘‘the best of all evils,’’ urging Israel to take action in its own selfinterest, ‘‘without conditioning it on the agreement of the Palestinians.’’ (NYT 5/31)

At the INSS conference in Tel Aviv, Israeli DM Ehud Barak also states that Israel and the U.S. have different assessments of the Iranian nuclear timetable, stating, ‘‘Our clock is ticking faster.’’ He says Israel believes that Iran is rapidly approaching a ‘‘zone of immunity’’—the point at which its nuclear facilities would be so decentralized and well fortified that they would be beyond reach of a military strike. Speaking at the same forum, Israeli PM Netanyahu says that the only safe route is for Iran to stop all enrichment, to send all its uranium abroad, and to dismantle its nuclear facilities at Fordo, all of which must be verified by the IAEA. Meanwhile, former Mossad chief Meir Dagan argues that ‘‘if we bomb ... we will give them the legitimacy to attain nuclear military capability.’’ Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi (Ret.), former IDF chief of staff, recommended that more time be given for diplomacy and sanctions to work. (WP, WT 5/31)

Washington Times runs a special report on how Israel’s expanding relationship with China is raising international concerns. The report states that Israel has recently been expanding trade relations and military ties with China, seeing it as a large, emerging market for its military goods and an influential player who could pressure Iran. (WT 5/30; see QU in JPS 165 for details)