In the West Bank, Israeli forces confiscated 2 diggers and 2 trucks working on a cancer treatment facility near Yatta. 22 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Ramallah, Jenin,...
In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in 3 villages nr. Jenin, and1 village each nr. Ramallah and Tulkarm at...
The IDF’s attacks on the Gaza Strip continue, with reports indicating nearly 20 more Palestinians killed and as many as 300 Israeli air strikes during the day. As the Palestinian death toll...
Read more
In the West Bank, Israeli forces confiscated 2 diggers and 2 trucks working on a cancer treatment facility near Yatta. 22 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, Bethlehem, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians erupted during a late-night raid in Issawiyya, leading to tear-gas related injuries. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on agricultural lands east of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. (WAFA 9/22; PCHR 9/24)
The health minister of the PA Mai al-Kaila said Israel had obstructed a shipment of 100,000 COVID-19 testing swabs via Jordan, causing them to be destroyed. (WAFA 9/22)
Senior officials from Fatah and Hamas met in Turkey to continue talks about reconciliation between the 2 parties. (AJ, HA, WAFA 9/22)
The PA announced it would no longer chair Arab League meetings, citing the UAE and Bahrain’s normalization with Israel. The PA had 6 months left of its chairmanship preceding over Arab League meetings. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 9/22)
Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz met with senior advisor to president Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, in Washington D.C. to discuss Israel’s qualitative military edge and normalization with Arab and Muslim nations. Gantz also met with U.S. secretary of defense Mark Esper. (HA 9/22)
In a video speech to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) the emir of Qatar Shaykh Tamim Hamad al-Thani castigated the international community’s inaction over the Israeli occupation of “Palestinian and Arab land.” Emir al-Thani also said that the Arab Peace Initiative is the only way for peace. French president Emmanuel Macron, also via video link to the UNGA, called for decisive negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. (AJ 9/22; WAFA 9/23)
Germany contributed $65.5 million to different public sector programs in the occupied Palestinian territories, including $31.6 million for the water sector in Gaza. (WAFA 9/22)
In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in 3 villages nr. Jenin, and1 village each nr. Ramallah and Tulkarm at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Aida r.c. in Bethlehem, in Hebron, and in 1 village nr. Nablus at night. (PCHR 3/28)
The Arab League approves a Qatari proposal to set up a $1 billion fund for East Jerusalem to ‘‘maintain the Arab and Islamic character of the city and reinforce the steadfastness of its people.’’ Saudi Arabia’s Islamic Development Bank will manage the fund. The Israeli government condemns the decision. At the same meeting, Qatari emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani calls for a minisummit on Palestinian national reconciliation to be held in Cairo as soon as possible, remarked welcomed by both the PA and Hamas. Also at the Arab League meeting, Syrian opposition leader Sheikh Moaz al-Khatib takes the country’s vacant seat for the first time. (JP, NYT, REU 3/26)
PM Salam Fayyad presents a draft budget for the PA of $3.9 billion, with $1.4 billion having to come from foreign aid. The government debates the proposed budget. (MNA 3/26)
The IDF’s attacks on the Gaza Strip continue, with reports indicating nearly 20 more Palestinians killed and as many as 300 Israeli air strikes during the day. As the Palestinian death toll approaches 50, with scores more wounded, Gaza’s hospitals feel the strain. IDF targets include the private homes of Hamas officials, police buildings, government buildings, and smuggling tunnels. Israel’s interior min. Eli Yishai says that the goal of the operation is to ‘‘send Gaza back to the Middle Ages.’’ Palestinian armed groups fire over 70 rockets into Israel, with Israel’s Iron Dome defense system intercepting 57 rockets, bringing the total of intercepted projectiles since the start of Operation Pillar of Defense to over 250. Sixteeen Israelis are injured. (REU, BBC, HA, MNA 11/17)
Tunisian FM Rafik Abdesslem makes a solidarity visit to the Gaza Strip, vowing that his government will take steps in the Arab League and UN to stop Israeli aggression. Most of the diplomatic focus is on tentative Egyptian efforts to mediate a cease-fire. In Cairo, Egyptian pres. Morsi holds talks with Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Qatar’s Emir Shaykh Hamad Bin-Khalifa al-Thani, Hamas leader Khalid Mishal, and Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan ‘Abdallah Shalah. Dep. head of Hamas’s politbureau Musa Abu Marzuq says despite efforts to secure a temporary cease-fire, Israel and Hamas are both far from reaching an agreement. As part of a potential deal, Hamas officials are reported to be demanding an easing of the blockade and an end to the assassination of Hamas leaders. (Guardian, MNA, MNA, WP 11/17)
Palestinians demonstrate across the West Bank to protest the continued Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, with IDF forces wounding and arresting dozens, including in major clashes nr. Huwara checkpoint outside Nablus. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, and in 2 villages nr. Salfit, 1 village nr. Ramallah, 2 villages nr. Qalqilya, Tulkarm, 3 villages nr. Hebron, and al-‘Arub refugee camp (r.c.) nr. Hebron, where IDF soldiers wound 1 Palestinian with live ammunition in clashes with residents, at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Jenin, 1 village each nr. Hebron, Nablus at night. (MNA 11/17; PCHR 11/22)
