The Palestine Chronology

Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near Jabaliya refugee camp. In 2 separate incidents off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Bayt Lahiya, causing no reported damage or injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers puncture the tires of several Palestinian vehicles and leave racist graffiti on nearby walls in Qaryut near Nablus overnight. They also throw stones at Palestinian homes near Nablus, sparking a minor confrontation between their IDF escort and the Palestinian residents; 4 Palestinian homes are reported with minor damage. IDF troops arrest 4 Palestinians and issue 2 arrest summons during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Nablus, and Hebron; and patrol near Nablus and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, approximately 82 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif. (MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 10/10; PCHR 10/11)

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announces a $150 million donation to help “alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip.” Most of the money, $90 million, is reportedly slated to help pay the salaries of the Hamas-run government’s civil servants. The rest was previously reported and designated for fuel purchases for Gaza’s only power plant. The UN Development Program is set to help distribute the aid. The announcement comes a day after the first shipment of Qatari-funded diesel fuel for Gaza’s only power plant entered Gaza. (MNA, YA 10/11)

Dozens of Arab and Jewish Americans gather outside the PLO office in Washington to protest the Trump administration’s order to close the office by today (the office formally closed on 9/13, but employees were permitted to remain until today). They criticize the Trump administration’s treatment of the Palestinians and call for the office to be allowed to re-open. (TOI 10/10; AFP, TOI, WAFA 10/11)

After Israeli, Palestinian, and other Arab diplomats reach a compromise, UNESCO’s Executive Board passes 2 texts relating to Jerusalem and the Palestinian education system, respectively. The texts are critical of Israel, referring to “Israeli army violations against Palestinian universities and schools” and other aspects of the occupation, but the most critical language from previous drafts was removed. Rather than advancing the texts for a vote from the full body, the board shifts them into a non-binding annex, which is then approved by consensus. “I would like to commend the spirit of dialogue and the sense of responsibility that led to this result,” says UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay. “A trend towards consensus is now emerging. It is based on the presence of all parties around the table at UNESCO and, of course, on their goodwill.” Israel and the U.S. are still set to withdraw from UNESCO on 12/31. (REU, YA 10/10; TOI 10/12)

Gaza’s power plant begins operating on 4 turbines for the first time since 2006, after Israel (in a gesture to mark Ramadan) allowed the UN Development Program to import new transformers to replace those destroyed by an Israeli air strike in 2006. The improved capacity of the plant and additional Israeli fuel imports to mark Ramadan reduce rolling blackouts across Gaza to 8–10 hrs./day (down from around 12 hrs./day in recent months). The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho and Ramallah in the morning; conducts synchronized patrols in 4 villages nr. Jenin at midday; patrols in alNabi Salih in the afternoon, firing rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them (causing no serious injuries); and conducts synchronized patrols in 2 villages nr. Jericho in the evening. (PCHR 8/2; OCHA 8/3)

PA Fin. Min. Nabil Kassis says the government is finding it harder each month to meet its routine budget expenses because donors, including the U.S. and Arab states, have failed to fulfill their 2012 pledges. The PA had hoped to close a $1.1 b. gap in its $4 b. budget, but is expected to fall short by $250,000, despite increasing taxes and making cuts to subsidies. (WT 7/27)

Republican candidate Mitt Romney begins a 6-day international tour of Britain, Israel, and Poland to point up his foreign policy skills. The theme of the trip is ‘‘the importance of locking arms with the nation’s allies.’’ Aides say that on the Middle East, Romney intends to highlight differences with Obama over plans for the peace process, support for Israel, Iran’s nuclear program, and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. (WT 7/26; see QU in JPS 165 for details.)

The International Israel Allies Caucus Foundation (formed by Israeli Knesset mbrs. and mbrs. of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008) sponsors 2 panels on Capitol Hill to mark nearly 20 yrs. since the signing of the 9/2003 Oslo Accord and to discuss how to move the peace process forward. Speakers include former State Dept. adviser to the negotiations Aaron David Miller, Likud MK and avid settlement supporter Danny Danon (who supports annexation of the West Bank except for the Palestinian population, which would be left to fend for itself), right-wing settler leader and former MK Rabbi Benny Elon (who supports annexation of the West Bank and creation of a Palestinian state in Jordan), and Israeli negotiator to the Oslo talks Yossi Beilin (who says: ‘‘My interest is not necessarily a Palestinian state. All I want is a Jewish majority forever.’’), and Jerusalem Post dep. managing editor Caroline Glick (who says Oslo was destined to fail because Palestinian leaders ‘‘raised a generation of kids who value death’’). The only representative of the Palestinian viewpoint, American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) dir. Ghaith al-Omari, praises Oslo for establishing a sense of ‘‘mutual respect’’ necessary for moving talks forward and calls for a quick resumption of negotiations. Elon responds that there will be no progress until the Palestinians understand that the Jewish people ‘‘are back in Zion, back in Jerusalem.’’ (WJW 7/26)