The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 3 villages nr. Hebron, Tulkarm, and 1 nearby village, Nablus, Tubas, and 1 village nr. Ramallah at night; patrols in Jenin and 1 nearby village, and 1 village each in Bethlehem and Hebron. Jewish settlers attack Palestinian-owned vehicles nr. Nablus, causing damage but no injuries. Settlers also set fire to olive trees nr. Hawara village. (MNA 6/26; PCHR 6/27)

The Israeli army reopens Kerem Shalom and Erez border crossings into the Gaza Strip, closed on 6/23 as a punitive measure following rocket fire. (AFP 6/26)

The Jerusalem municipality approves construction permits for 69 new homes in East Jerusalem settlement Har Homa, a day before U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry is due to arrive for talks in Israel and the West Bank. (AFP, JP 6/26)

UNESCO’s World Heritage Cmte. in Phnom Penh passes a Jordanian-sponsored resolution in an 8–3–10 vote condemning Israeli actions in Jerusalem, such as developments of the Western Wall and Temple Mount site, and resolving to maintain the places of the Old City and Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on its World Heritage Sites in Danger list. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticizes the resolution, saying it is a “dark day for UNESCO.” (ToI 6/26)

Austria completes the withdrawal of its UNDOF peacekeepers from the Golan Heights, with the remaining 70 departing via Israel. (HA 6/26)

Unidentified gunmen kidnap 2 Egyptian police officers in the s. Sinai, reportedly in revenge for an earlier assault on a Bedouin man by a police officer during a dispute at a petrol station. (Ahram 6/26)

Barak for the 1st time says that Israel would not annex Palestinian villages nr. Jerusalem but would seek to annex most Jewish settlements in a final agmt.; says Israel might make a "down payment" on future land transfers, possibly handing over Palestinian villages nr. Jerusalem. (MM 4/10; Hatzofe 4/12 in WNC 4/13; AYM 4/12 in WNC 4/14; MM, NYT, WT 4/17; WJW 4/20; WP 5/4)

Another 4 senior Israeli officials confirm that under the right conditions, Israel would formally recognize a Palestinian state. The 5 officials who have made statements since 4/15 are Internal Security M Ben Ami, Regional Cooperation M Shimon Peres, M without portfolio Haim Ramon, Education M Sarid, Dep. DM Ephraim Sneh. (WP 4/17)

Israeli FM Levy arrives in Paris to meet with French officials. (Le Monde 5/6 in WNC 5/10)

Israel postpones the release of 13 Lebanese detainees after the family of IDF airman Arad files an appeal of the High Court's 4/12 ruling. (NYT, WT 4/17)

After a 6-wk. investigation, Israeli police recommend that Transportation M Mordechai be indicted on charges of having sexually assaulted 3 women over 8 yrs. Police say that the statue of limitations has expired on "several" other incidents. (NYT, WP, WT 4/17; JP 4/14; WJW 4/20) (see 3/7)

U.S. special envoy Ross returns to the Middle East to try to restart talks on the Israeli-Palestinian track. (AYM, al-Quds 3/7 in WNC 3/9; WP, WT 3/8)

Arafat, Barak secretly meet in Tel Aviv to discuss differences blocking renewal of their peace talks, especially implementation of the 3d stage of the 2d further redepolyment (FRD) outlined in Wye II. U.S. special envoy Ross does not attend. (MM, NYT, WP, WT 3/8; al-Quds 3/9 in WNC 3/13)

Syria's cabinet resigns. Pres. Asad names Aleppo governor Muhammad Mustafa Miru as the new PM, charging him with forming a new government to "modernize the administration." This is seen as a move by Asad to accelerate economic and social reform, to reduce the Ba`th party's political role (Miru is a low-level Ba`th official), to inject new blood into the cabinet and is not expected to affect negotiations with Israel. (CSM, MM, NYT, WP 3/8; MM 3/9, 3/10; JP 3/17; MEI 3/24; al-Majallah 4/10 in WNC 4/14)

Israeli police begin to investigate a complaint that Transportation M Mordechai sexually assaulted a female employee. Mordechai denies the charges, takes a leave of absence fr. his post to speed the investigation. (MM 3/7; MM, NYT, WT 3/8; WJW 3/9; WJW 3/16; JP 3/17)