The Palestine Chronology

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)

Despite a Greek ban on vessels heading to Gaza to discourage the Freedom Flotilla II, the U.S. activists’ boat The Audacity of Hope attempts to leave port but is detained by the Greek coast guard. In the West Bank, the IDF bars Palestinian farmers fr. working a 60-d. plot of agricultural land nr. Susia settlement; patrols in 4 villages nr. Jericho, Qalqilya, and Ramallah during the day. A Palestinian who was shot by the IDF when he apparently failed to heed orders to stop at a checkpoint nr. Hebron on 1/20/11 dies of his injuries in Israel’s Hadasah Hospital. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 2 Palestinians and accidentally starting a fire that burns 200 beehives and 150 olive trees nr. Kafr Qaddum. (NYT, WP 7/2; WP, WT 7/4; PCHR 7/7; OCHA 7/8)

Palestinians in Bil‘in hold what they say is their last weekly demonstration against the separation wall, noting that the IDF is set to implement (on 6/26) Israel’s High Court decision to remove part of the separation wall that cuts off the village fr. two-thirds of its agricultural land. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) also hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Ni‘lin and Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, causing no serious injuries. Meanwhile, the IDF sends undercover units into Silwan to break up a protest tent in the Bustan quarter, arresting 1 Palestinian; patrols in 3 villages nr. Qalqilya (randomly stopping and questioning residents in 1 instance) and 1 nr. Ramallah in the morning; patrols in Birzeit late at night; and makes a late-night raid on a home nr. Salfit, summoning 1 resident for questioning but making no arrests. Jewish settlers fr. Susia nr. Hebron severely beat 4 Palestinian farmers and damage 1 Palestinian vehicle nr. the settlement; the IDF escorts the Palestinians to safety but declares the area a closed military zone. Jewish settlers attempt to seize a plot of Palestinian agricultural land nr. Qalqilya, but the Palestinians appeal to the PA security forces at the local District Liaison Office, and the IDF removes the settlers. (NYT 6/25; WP 6/27; PCHR 6/30; OCHA 7/1)