The Palestine Chronology

In Gaza, Hamas security forces arrest 3 Islamic Jihad mbrs. allegedly connected to the rocket fire that targeted Israel on 5/26. Off the coast nr. Jabaliya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct late-night house searches and raids in Jenin, 1 village nr. Tulkarm, and al- ‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, arresting 2 Palestinians. Israeli settlers take over 10 dunams (around 2.5 acres) of land nr. Nablus, planting grapevines on the land. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a newly built home in Silwan; arrest 1 Palestinian on a late-night raid in Bayt Hanina. (HA, MNA, WAFA, YA 5/27; MNA, PCHR 5/28; PCHR 6/4; NYT 8/4)

The Union of European Football Associations’ (UEFA) exec. comm. agrees to oppose the Palestinians’ bid to suspend Israel from FIFA via a res. at the body’s 5/29 congress. Meanwhile, PFA chair Jibril Rajoub says, “The vote is still on the agenda,” following talks with FIFA pres. Sepp Blatter. (HA 5/27; JP, MNA, WAFA 5/28)

Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair announces his resignation after 8 years in the post. He will step down next mo., but continue working with the U.S., EU, and others to support a 2-state solution. (AFP, statement from Blair’s office 5/27)

In the Gaza Strip, unknown assailants set fire to the cars of senior Hamas and Fatah officials in Jabaliya r.c. and Nussayrat r.c., respectively. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Jenin and Hebron; patrols nr. Hebron, Tulkarm, Jericho, Ramallah, and Jenin. Israeli forces accelerate their efforts at leveling land outside Dayr Istya nr. Salfit, clearing the area for a major settlement expansion. They also begin expanding a settlement nr. Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian woman nr. the Old City. (MNA, WAFA 2/15; PCHR 2/19)

In Gaza, Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair calls for international donors to fulfil their pledges and deliver the funds necessary for the reconstruction of the Strip. He also calls on Israel to make a “radical change of approach” and to lift restrictions on Gaza. While in Gaza, Blair meets with PA unity govt. ministers and UN officials. (AP, REU, TOI 2/15; MNA 2/18; HA 2/19)

U.S. secy. of state Clinton meets with Israeli leaders (including PM Netanyahu, Pres. Peres, DM Barak, FM Avigdor Lieberman) and Quartet special envoy Tony Blair in Jerusalem and with PA PM Salam Fayyad in Ramallah. Though the main purpose of her visit is to discuss Iran, Syria, and other regional changes brought by the Arab Spring, she tells the Israeli and Palestinian sides that they must resume peace talks soon and avoid all unilateral actions. She emphasizes that while the international community is ready to offer ample support for a return to negotiations, the hard work must be done by the parties themselves. (WP 7/17)

Israel allows 40 Palestinian prisoners held in its Ramon prison to receive visits from family members from Gaza, marking the 1st time Israel has allowed family visits for Gazan prisoners since Hamas seized control of the Strip in 6/2007. Unidentified Palestinians fire 1 Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts evening arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin; and conducts late-night patrols in al-Nabi Salih. (TOI 7/16; WP 7/17; PCHR 7/19; OCHA 7/20)

Christians United for Israel (CUFI) opens its 7th annual conference in Washington. At least 5,600 participants attend. Organizers note that CUFI now has 1.1 m. members, 754,000 Facebook fans, and 96 college chapters. The conference theme is ‘‘Defend America; Vote Israel.’’ CUFI founder James Hagee focuses on the importance of Christian Zionism and supporting Israel as part of ‘‘living out God’s mandate.’’ Other speakers include Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), fmr. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations head Malcolm Hoenlein, and Zionist Organization of America pres. Morton Klein. The speakers focus on Iran, U.S.-Israel security cooperation, and halting Palestinian incitement. (WJW 7/19)

PA Pres. Abbas meets with Quartet special envoy Blair in Jordan before leaving for Cairo to meet with Arab League FMs. Blair urges Abbas to continue low-level talks on borders; says he has urged Israel to make goodwill gestures to revive talks, including easing security restrictions in the West Bank and releasing prisoners. (UPI, WAFA 2/11; YA 2/12)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In response, Israeli warplanes make 4 late-night air strikes on s. Gaza, targeting an open area nr. al-Shuka and 3 Palestinian homes in Gaza City, al-Qarara, and Rafah (suspected weapons depots and entrances to smuggling tunnels), killing 1 Palestinian civilian, wounding another, and causing heavy damage. The IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 2 villages nr. Jenin in the morning; patrols in another 2 villages nr. Jenin in the afternoon (in 1 instance firing tear gas and stun grenades at stone-throwing youths who confront them); conducts late-night patrols in 1 village each nr. Jenin, Jericho, Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Tulkarm; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya and Ramallah. Palestinian students at Birzeit University hold a nonviolent march to Israel’s Ofer prison nr. Ramallah to show support for hunger-striking Islamic Jihad prisoner Khader Adnan; IDF troops outside the prison fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at the protesters who reply with stones; 4 journalists and several protesters are lightly injured. Jewish settlers fr. Susia settlement in Hebron attack 6 Palestinians planting almond trees on a 20-d. plot nearby (moderately injuring them) and uproot the newly planted seedlings; the IDF observes but does not intervene. (JP 2/11, 2/12; PCHR 2/16; OCHA 2/17)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians hunting for birds in the fmr. Nisanit settlement area nr. the Erez crossing, forcing them to flee. For the 3d straight day, Israeli naval vessels fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the s. Gaza coast, forcing them to return to shore. Late at night, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border make a brief incursion into areas n. of Bayt Lahiya, searching the area and opening fire, but causing no reported damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF escorts Jewish settlers into Nablus late at night to pray at Joseph’s Tomb, raiding several Palestinian homes. (PCHR 11/24; PCHR 12/1; OCHA 12/2)

The PA warns that unless Israel releases VAT taxes (suspended on 11/1/11 in violation of the 1994 Oslo Accord), it will be unable to pay civil servants salaries on 12/1 (affecting around one-third of Palestinians) and PA services would likely be disrupted. PA PM Salam alFayyad states: “With each passing day, the [PA] becomes weaker, and it is fast approaching the day when it becomes completely incapacitated.” The UN, U.S., and Quartet have each contacted Israeli PM Netanyahu in recent days to urge him to restore the transfers, with Quartet special envoy Tony Blair stating today: “Only those who oppose peace and Israeli-Palestinian cooperation benefit from the withholding of PA funds.” A Netanyahu aide says that if the PA pledges not to pursue membership in any more UN organizations and backs off planned reconciliation talks with Hamas, Israel would probably restore the transfers, saying, “The idea is to influence Palestinian decision making.” (NYT 11/24; WP 11/28)

Smugglers attempting to sneak into Israel fr. Egypt clash with Egyptian border police inside Egyptian territory (killing 2 border police) and then cross into Israel where they exchange fire with IDF soldiers (causing no reported injuries) before fleeing back into Egypt and escaping. (WP 12/3)

Ross and Hale return to the region 9/14–15 to meet with Netanyahu and Abbas. They propose that the Palestinians drop their UN bid in exchange for “some attributes of a state” (e.g., getting aid directly from the World Bank, which gives only to states) or for restarting talks based on 1967 lines but without a settlement freeze (already rejected by Abbas as insufficient). Separately, EU foreign policy chief Ashton and Quartet special envoy Blair suggest that the Palestinians drop their bid in exchange for a Quartet statement outlining a return to peace talks and a UNGA res. endorsing the idea of Palestinian statehood without granting the status of a state. Abbas rejects these as too little too late. (NYT 9/14; NYT, WP 9/16)

The IDF cuts down 135 olive trees in Dayr Istya village nr. Salfit, saying they were planted on state land; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Bireh (raiding the home of Hamas-affiliated PC mbr. Fadil Hamdan, arresting him) and Nablus; conducts late-night patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin. (PCHR 9/15, 9/22; OCHA 9/23)

Ross and Hale meet with Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat. Quartet special envoy Tony Blair is also in the region. (Bloomberg 9/6; NYT, WP 9/9)

The IDF makes a predawn raid into Tulkarm r.c., arresting 1 Palestinian; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Qalqilya; conducts late-night patrols in Jericho. Militant Jewish settlers vandalize IDF base nr. Ramallah, damaging 13 vehicles and breaking windows in apparent retaliation for the 9/5 razing of structures at Migron outpost. (PCHR, WP 9/8; PCHR 9/15; OCHA 9/16)