The Palestine Chronology

The wave of small-scale violence continues in Israel and the West Bank. Israeli police open fire on 2 Palestinians, killing 1 and injuring the other, after they stab and moderately injure an Israeli civilian in Beit Shemesh, w. of Jerusalem. An Israeli settler and an IDF soldier open fire on a Palestinian youth in c. Hebron after he allegedly attempts to stab an Israeli in the area; there are no serious injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 10/22; PCHR 10/29)

Elsewhere in the oPt, IDF troops stationed along Gaza’s border violently disperse Palestinians protesting e. of Gaza City and e. of al-Bureij r.c., injuring 3. They also conduct an overnight raid in Qalandia r.c. nr. Ramallah, arresting 3 Palestinians, assaulting 1, and sparking a brief firefight with armed Palestinians; there are no serious injuries. Throughout the day, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians protesting at a checkpoint nr. Qalqilya and w. of Tulkarm, injuring 4 Palestinians. The IDF conducts raids nr. Ramallah, sparking clashes with stonethrowing Palestinians (4 Palestinians are injured and 2 are arrested). Israeli forces also conduct late-night house searches and raids and patrols across the West Bank. Israeli settlers throw stones and glass bottles at Palestinian homes e. of Hebron, causing damage. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/22; PCHR 10/29)

Israel’s High Court of Justice issues an injunction temporarily freezing the punitive demolitions of 7 West Bank homes of Palestinians accused of serious crimes against Israelis in recent mos. The demolition orders were delivered on 10/14 (the court will reject petitions calling for indefinite suspension of 6 of the demolitions on 11/12, effectively allowing them to go forward). (HA, JP, TOI, YA 10/22)

U.S. secy. of state Kerry meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu in Berlin to discuss a series of proposals to quell the ongoing violence in Israel and the oPt. Kerry says he is “cautiously optimistic” about the proposals discussed, and says that he will bring them to Jordan’s King Abdullah and PA pres. Abbas on 10/24. (HA, JP, NYT, TOI 10/22)

In the West Bank, IDF forces shoot and injure 1 Palestinian in clashes provoked by an IDF arrest raid in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem. The IDF also conducts house searches and arrest raids in Nur Shams r.c. nr Tulkarm at night; patrols in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, Jenin, and 1 village nr. Ramallah at night. Inside Israel, suspected Jewish extremists vandalize a monastery nr. Beit Shemesh and leave “price-tag” graffiti. (WAFA 8/21; PCHR 8/22)

Senior PLO official Hanan Ashrawi says that the Palestinians may turn to UN bodies in response to Israeli settlement construction even before the current peace negotiations have come to a conclusion. In remarks made during a tour of East Jerusalem settlements, Ashrawi tells journalists “if Israel does not stop, then we have to move.” Meanwhile, Israel’s High Court of Justice rules that 30 structures in the Amana outpost in the West Bank should be demolished, but gives no evacuation date and leaves room for an appeal. (AP, JP 8/21)

A suspected chemical weapons attack takes place in Ghouta, a rebel-held suburb of Damascus, with wildly differing claims of fatalities (from a few hundred to over 1,000). Opposition forces blame the Bashar al-Asad regime, a claim denied by the govt. The UNSC holds an emergency meeting in response and calls for clarity, welcoming Ban Ki-moon’s call for a prompt investigation by UN inspectors. The U.S.-France-UK-drafted res. was changed to accommodate objections from Russia and China. (AFP, REU 8/21)

EU FMs meet for an emergency session in response to events in Egypt and agree to suspend the sale of security equipment and arms. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says that “recent actions of the military have been disproportionate.” (NYT 8/19; AFP 8/21)

IDF fatally shoots Islamic Jihad mbr. Mu`ammar Daraghma, as he drives nr. Jenin in what is likely an assassination. The IDF raids, shuts the admin. offices of al-Quds University in Jerusalem, confiscating files, computers; seals the office of university pres. Sari Nusseibeh, who is also the PLO official in charge of Jerusalem affairs. In Jerusalem's old city, an exchange of gunfire btwn. an Israeli police officer, a Palestinian motorist stopped for an ID check leaves 1 Palestinian bystander dead, the police officer wounded. The IDF also demolishes 6 Palestinian homes in Rafah, severely damages 2 others; reoccupies Bayt Rima, ordering all men to surrender for questioning; imposes a curfew on Husan; conducts arrest raids in Bayt Awa, Bethlehem, Nur al-Shams r.c., Qalqilya, Tafuh, al-Til, Tulkarm r.c. Jewish settlers under IDF protection take control of 1,400 dunams of Palestinian land nr. Jaba', outside Jerusalem.(HP 7/9; LAW, MM, NYT, PCHR, WP 7/10; MA 7/10 in WNC 7/11; WJW 7/11; AFP 7/11 in WNC 7/15; MA 7/11 in WNC 7/16; MA 7/15 in WNC 7/17; MM 7/17, 7/19)

A group of 400 Jewish immigrants fr. the U.S. and Canada arrive in Israel; 75% of them will live in Beit Shemesh, Jerusalem. They arrive as part of a new Jewish Agency program to encourage entire established Jewish communities in N. America to immigrate to Israel with their rabbis. American Evangelical Christians representing the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) donated $5,000 to each of the 400 to help finance the move. Another group of 130 is expected to arrive in the next few mos. (JP 7/9; Trenton Times 7/10; WJW 7/11; MEI 7/26) (see 6/22)