The Palestine Chronology

IDF soldiers shoot and wound 2 Palestinian teenagers, 1 seriously, in clashes between the army and protesters nr. Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem. Palestinians throwing stones at Israeli cars on a road nr. Beitar Illit settlement lightly injure an Israeli child. Hundreds of Palestinian protesters demonstrating in solidarity with hunger-striking prisoners march to Ofer prison nr. Ramallah and clash with Israeli forces, who wound 11 with rubber-coated metal bullets. IDF soldiers shoot and wound 1 Palestinian at demonstrations in Tulkarm, and IDF soldiers open fire and wound 2 at demonstrations in Taqou’ village nr. Bethlehem. Israeli soldiers arrest 19 Palestinian schoolchildren in Til village nr. Nablus and take them to Hawara detention facility, releasing them after around 5 hours. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, and in 1 village nr. Hebron, al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron, and in 1 village nr. Nablus in the afternoon (clashes in all three, no serious injuries), in 1 village nr. Ramallah at night. Off the coast of the Gaza Strip, Israeli naval vessels opens fire on Palestinian fishermen off the north Gaza coast, causing no injuries or damage. (MNA, 2/25; HA 2/26; PCHR 2/28)

PA Pres. Mahmud Abbas meets with his security chiefs and orders them to enforce calm in the West Bank. Meanwhile, in a press briefing U.S. deputy State Dept. spokesperson Patrick Ventrell calls on Israelis and Palestinians to ‘‘exercise maximum restraint’’ and ‘‘refrain from provocative actions that could destabilize conditions on the ground.’’ (AFP 2/25; HA 2/26)

Israel carries out a successful test of its upgraded Arrow III missile interceptor in, a joint project with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. (HA 2/25)

Across the West Bank, clashes continue between the IDF and Palestinians protesting in solidarity with prisoners in Israeli jails.

In Jerusalem’s Old City, Palestinian youths and Israeli police clash after Friday prayers, with Israeli security forces briefly entering the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Palestinians protest outside Ofer detention center nr. Ramallah, at Huwara checkpoint nr. Nablus, in Abud village nr. Ramallah (where 4 are wounded including one seriously), at Jalama checkpoint nr. Jenin, and in Tulkarm and nearby ‘Anabta village. In all cases, the IDF violently disperses the protests with tear gas, rubber-coated metal bullets and live ammunition, though no serious injuries are reported. The largest protest is in Hebron, where around 1,500 Palestinians clash with IDF forces and 1 Palestinian man is shot in the foot. In addition, Palestinian and international activists demonstrate in the center of Hebron for the opening of Shuhada Street. The IDF violently disperses the demonstrators, causing 3 moderate injuries with rubber-coated metal bullets. Israeli soldiers also attack regular demonstrations by Palestinians, Israelis and international activists against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and the occupation in 4 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, al-Nabi Salih, Budrus, Ni‘lin), 2 villages nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum, Jayyous) and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma’sara). Injuries include, 1 Palestinian is wounded from a tear gas canister to the head in Bil‘in and 8 Palestinians wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets (5 in Budrus and 3 in al-Nabi Salih). The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning; in al-Fawar refugee camp nr. Hebron (clashes but no serious injuries reported) and Qalqilya in the afternoon; and in 2 villages each nr. Jericho and Qalqilya, and 1 village each nr. Jenin, Ramallah, and Tulkarm at night. The IDF also conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon. In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops open fire on Palestinians close to the border fence in 2 incidents: nr. Bayt Hanun (wounding 2) and nr. Jabaliya (wounding 1). Israeli naval vessels open fire on fishermen working off the north Gaza coast, causing no injuries or damage. (MNA 2/22, PCHR 2/28)