The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, the IDF opens fire on Palestinians who threw stones at a routine patrol in al-Khadir village nr. Bethlehem, wounding an 11-year-old with a rubber-coated metal bullet. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Hebron at night; patrols in 1 village each nr. Jenin, Qalqilya and Tulkarm in the morning, in 2 villages nr. Qalqilya, 2 villages nr. Tulkarm, and in 1 village nr. Hebron in the afternoon, and in 1 village nr. Hebron, and Tulkarm and 1 village nearby at night. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces clash with Palestinians in the Abu Dis and Eizariya neighborhoods while conducting arrest raids, detaining 29. Meanwhile, in Israel, security forces demolish 11 structures and tents in Attir and 3 homes in Beer al-Mashash, 2 Bedouin villages in the Negev. In the latter case, Israeli police officers fire rubber-coated plastic bullets and tear gas at residents, injuring 5. (MNA 5/30; PCHR 6/5)

Israel’s Housing Ministry releases a tender for the construction of 300 new homes in Ramot, a settlement in East Jerusalem, and also confirms a decision to sell 797 housing units in Moradot Gilo, another East Jerusalem settlement. A U.S. State Dept. spokesperson describes the move as “counterproductive,” while Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat says that the announcement sabotages U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry’s efforts to restart peace talks. Israeli officials stress that the announcement is not new construction but a republication of a tender previously issued. (AP, HA 5/30)

Syrian pres. Bashar al-Asad says during an interview with Al-Manar TV that Russia is still committed to supplying his country with S-300 air defense missiles. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council agrees to add Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qa‘ida-linked rebel group operating in Syria, to a UN sanctions blacklist that imposes an assets freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo on the associated individuals and entities. (AP, REU 5/30)

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in Russia for talks with Pres. Vladimir Putin about the peace process and regional developments, including Syria. Netanyahu asks Putin not to supply S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Bashar al-Asad’s regime. (HA 5/14)

The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor Fatou Bensouda says she will open a preliminary examination into Israel’s 2010 attack on the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara aid flotilla, following a referral from Comoros, to which one of the vessels raided was registered. (REU 5/14)

Thousands of Palestinians hold Nakba Day rallies in cities across the West Bank; the IDF violently disperses protesters in al-Khader, causing no serious injuries. The IDF also patrols in al- ‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, injuring 1 Palestinian in clashes. Jewish settlers uproot around 150 trees south of Nablus and also set fire to Palestinian agricultural lands in Bayt Furik village nr. Nablus. There is also a ‘‘price tag’’ attack in in Umm al-Qutuf village in Wadi Ara, a Palestinian village inside the Green Line, in which suspected Jewish extremists vandalize a mosque and 3 vehicles. (JTA, MNA, WAFA 5/14; PCHR 5/16)

Fatah and Hamas representatives hold reconciliation talks in Cairo. Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouq says the sides have pledged to complete formation of a long-anticipated unity government within 3 months (see QU 168 for details). (JP, MNA 5/14)

Egypt’s upper house holds a special session to discuss recent clashes (5/7) in al-Aqsa Mosque and demands the immediate expulsion of Israeli ambassador Ya’akov Amitai in protest, but the government takes no immediate action. (ToI 5/14)

As Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue, 2 bombs explode on a bus in Tel Aviv, injuring 13 Israelis, and a roadside bomb detonates in Gaza, killing 1 IDF soldier, 1 Israeli border policeman, injuring 2 other soldiers. Israel seals the borders of the West Bank, Gaza. Jewish settlers attack Palestinian homes nr. Hebron. The IDF bulldozes 115 dunams of agricultural land nr. Bayt Hanun. (REU 12/28; NYT, WP, WT 12/29; WT 12/30; PCHR 1/6)

Pres. Clinton tells Arafat he sees no point in further discussion with the PA until Arafat accepts the 12/23 parameters, stating the U.S. will not reply to the PA's 12/27 letter. Clinton phones the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Russia, Saudi Arabia to urge them to back the parameters. (MENL 12/28; MENA 12/28, SA 12/31 in WNC 1/2; HA, MA [Internet], NYT, WP, WT, YA 12/29; YA 1/10)

In New York, 3 days of secret PA-Israeli talks on the Clinton parameters end in a deadlock. (MA [Internet] 12/28, 12/31) (see 12/26)

IDF soldiers shoot across the blue line with Lebanon, injuring 5 Lebanese civilians, including 1 child, hurling stones and firecrackers across the border nr. the disputed Abbad Hill. (MEI 1/12)

Secy. Albright briefs PM Barak on her mtg. with Syrian pres. Asad, then meets with Arafat in Ramallah. She presents both Barak and Arafat with a rough time line for concluding a FAPS. (MM 12/8; NYT 12/9; AYM 12/9 in WNC 12/14; MM 12/13; MEI 12/24)

Hrs. later in Washington, Pres. Clinton announces that Israel, Syria have agreed to resume negotiations. PM Barak, Syrian FM Faruq al-Shara` will hold an initial mtg. next wk. in Washington, to be followed immediately by intensive negotiations at an as yet undermined location. (MM 12/8; MM, NYT, WP, WT 12/9; AFP, DUS, Interfax, MENA, RL, SA, XIN 12/9 in WNC 12/10; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 12/10; WP 12/13)

Pres. Clinton, PM Barak both phone Arafat to assure him that the resumption of the Syrian-Israeli track will not affect progress on the PA-Israeli track. (WP 12/9; AYM 12/9, 12/11 in WNC 12/14; MM 12/13)

Syrian pres. Asad phones Lebanese pres. Emile Lahoud, PM Huss to coordinate positions in advance of Syrian-Israeli talks. They agree that neither Syria nor Lebanon will make a separate peace with Israel. (NYT 12/9; RL 12/9 in WNC 12/10; NYT 12/10)

In light of the announcement on the Syrian-Israeli talks, Russia calls for multilateral talks, which began in 1992 but stalled in 1996, to resume as soon as possible; offers to host a steering comm. mtg. (Interfax 12/9 in WNC 12/10)

In Amman, 100s of Jordanian university students hold a rally to protest the government decision to deport 4 Hamas leaders on 11/21. (SA 12/9 in WNC 12/10)

In Beirut, a group calling itself the World Islamic Front urges attacks on Russian embs. worldwide to protest Russia's war in the breakaway Muslim republic of Chechnya. (SA 12/9 in WNC 12/10)

Defying Secy. of State Albright's plea (9/11), PM Netanyahu anounces approval of plan to expand the West Bank settlement of Efrat by 300 units. State Dept. spokesman says that the decision is not "consistent with the environment [Albright] hoped to create." (MM, NYT, WP, WT 9/25; ITV 9/25, IDF Radio, JP 9/26 in WNC 9/30; CSM, NYT 9/26; YA 9/28 in WNC 9/30; MM 9/29; PR 10/3)

Egyptian pres. Mubarak returns fr. 3-day visit to Russia. (MENA 9/24 in WNC  9/25)

Turkish FM Ismail Cem, Israeli FM Levy meet in New York. Both men express concern over reports that Russia has agreed to sell Syria long-range S-300 missiles. (WT 9/24; Bayrak Radio [Nicosia] 9/25 in WNC 9/26)

PA arrests 20 suspected Hamas mbrs., tightens security around jailed Hamas activists. (WT 9/25; ITV 9/26 in WNC 9/30)

Attorneys report that the number of Palestinian administrative detainees at Israel's Megiddo prion has doubled to 400 in the last 2 mos. (LAW 9/24)

Turkish military offical confirms that 15,000 Turkish troops, with tanks, over 100 armored vehichles, entered n. Iraq over the past 4 days to attack PKK forces. (NYT 9/25; MM, WP 9/26; MEI 10/10) (see 6/19)

PLO Exec. Comm. mbrs. meet with Jordanian PM Sharif Bin-Shakir, request (and receive) explanations of 2 points on the tentatively agreed Israeli-Jordaniangenda for talks-whether or not East Jerusalem is included in the term "occupied territories" (it is), and how UN resolutions, the Palestinian right of return, and refugees in other countries factor into a solution of "the bilateral aspects of the refugee problem" (they will). PLO emerges "comfortable" with the agenda. (MM 11/2; RMC 11/2 in FBIS 11/4)

PM Rabin tells cabinet that the term "withdrawal" inlatest proposal to Syria applies to IDF forces, not to settlements on the Golan Heights, and that distinction has been made clear to Syria. (ITV 11/1 in FBIS 11/2)

Israel announces that Israeli and Jordanian negotiators have agreed to place the water issue at the top of the agenda when the talks reconvene 11/9. (Qol Yisra'el 11/1 in FBIS 11/6)

Head of Israeli delegation to talks with Lebanon, Uri Lubrani, announces that in the latest round Israel offered Lebanon an increased civilian govt. presence in the "security zone," and proposed bilateral talks between military officers. Lebanon has not accepted nor rejected either proposal. (Qol Yisra'el 11/1 in FBIS 11/2)

Itamar Rabinovich, head of the Israeli negotiating team with Syria, is appointed ambassador to the U.S., to take over in the coming months. (Yedi'ot Aharonot 11/1 in FBIS 11/3; NYT 11/2)

Israel shells eastern edges of "security zone," injuring 5 Lebanese civilians. (VOL 11/1 in FBIS 11/3)

Al-Hayat reports that Russia will sell Syria 36 fighter aircraft, 300 T-72 and T-74 tanks, and some Sa-10 and Sa-16 missile batteries (equivalents of the U.S. Patriot anti-missile system) as part of a 1991 $2 billion weapons accord. (WT 11/3)